


Gym Friends

by nightdreamers



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempt at Humor, Dancer Lance (Voltron), F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Angst, Lance's dance studio is above Keith's gym, M/M, Someone Help These Two, holy shit this is gay, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-12-24 02:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12003303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightdreamers/pseuds/nightdreamers
Summary: From the moment Keith Kogane stumbles across the stranger, dancing alone in the room, he knows he's in deep trouble.Struggling through a past heartache and a myriad of problems, Keith finds himself falling fast for the boy.A story of ballet slippers, boxing gloves, and two boys who just want love.





	1. The way he dances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for checking out this fic, hoping to update pretty frequently. Comments, criticism and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy! xx

He should probably stop doing this.

Actually, he really needs to stop doing this. 

This whole getting-overly-attached thing is really becoming quite an inconvenience to Keith. Avoiding it was part of his own little “golden rule." However, time after time he found himself clinging to something, putting way too much emotional meaning into it, and then being upset when it leaves. 

For example, this punching bag before him.

It had either been five minutes or five hours since he started with it, and Keith didn’t care enough to check the time. All he cared about right now was perfecting his left hook. Every time he took another swing at the bag, it wasn’t enough, wasn’t clean enough, wasn’t swift enough, wasn’t _good_ enough.

_It’s just a fucking bag, why are you freaking out over this?_

Keith continued to punch, jab, kick, and beat the living shit out of the bag (Well, not the “living” shit because it’s a lifeless bag). His whole body was aching, veins prominent on his forearms, poking out from beneath his gloves. Under those, his knuckles were bruised and bloody, begging for a break.

The only noises that could be heard in the room was the _wham_ of each hit to the bag, as well as the occasional grunt from Keith. As he continued, the only moment of rest he took was when he’d reach a hand up to wipe at the sweat beading on his brow. The thick mane he called his hair had fallen from his ponytail long ago and was now hanging loosely around his face. His jaw was clenched tightly, teeth grit together.

_Stupid_

Hit.

_Fucking_

Kick.

_S-_

“Keith!”

He stopped, jerking his head around to see who was yelling his name. It was Shiro, standing in the doorway in the signature Angry Dad™ pose (arms crossed, body stiff, brow furrowed, frowning). Keith grabbed the bag, stopping it from swinging any longer. Lips pursed together tightly, he raised his brows, silently asking Shiro what he wanted. “It’s almost noon, Keith, what time did you get in here?” Shiro said, stepping towards the other. Keith simply shrugged, beginning to take off his gloves and trying not to wince in pain. Yeah, he had definitely busted up his knuckles.

“Keith,” Shiro started, reaching out and taking his brother's hand to examine it. “This,” he said, pointing to the small cuts and gashes that had been left behind. “Is not healthy, I told you to wear proper gloves.”

Keith yanked his hand back, narrowing his eyes at Shiro then grabbing his gym bag from the floor. “Let’s just go,” he said, pushing past his brother and leaving the boxing room.

The two weren’t always like this, arguing and pushing with words full of malice. However, they had a small fight the previous night. Well, maybe not so small, and maybe a bit more than a fight. What had started as a simple chat had ended in a screaming match, and left the two of them on a bad note. A very, very bad note.

Of course, Keith would blame it on Shiro, even though it was really his fault. When it came to things like this, he always blamed it on Shiro. They never fought often, aside from petty arguments about dumb things ( “Did you call your aunt for her birthday?” or “What movie should we watch tonight?”). Something this severe was unfamiliar to them, and neither knew what to do about it. So, they did as they normally did, pretend it never happened and move on. The situation would maybe solve itself, maybe not, but Shiro and Keith were sure as fuck not going to do anything about it. As their routine went, in the morning they both headed to the gym for their daily workout session. Shiro did his thing, and Keith did his, which was beating the shit out of a bag.

“Can you wait up for me down here? I just need to talk with Allura,” Shiro had said as he and Keith made their way out of the gym.

“Sure,” Keith said, not bothering to look at Shiro as he spoke. Above the gym, on the second floor, was a dance studio where Shiro’s girlfriend worked. Sometimes, after a workout, the two would meet up and talk. Keith would wait downstairs, scroll on his phone, then he and his brother would take off. And that’s just what happened.

Keith let out a light sigh as he went through his text messages, a few from Pidge ( “just your daily reminder youre a fuckn nerd!!!!” ), and one from a contact labeled "Do not answer” ( “we need to talk” “answer your texts” ). Keith tucked his phone in his pocket, turning around to look at the door to the dance studio. Shiro was taking longer than usual, or maybe Keith’s patience was just not as good as usual. So, he decided to head upstairs to find him. Along the way, muttering a small string of curses to himself.

The dance studio was much bigger than he’d expected, even though it was the same size as the gym below. There was a small room at the entrance, with a front desk and some people waiting around. Mostly little kids and their parents. Instantly, Keith’s eyes were drawn to, almost blinded, by the decorations of the room. Across the white walls were colorful depictions of little dancers, ballet slippers, and a shit ton of tutus. Meanwhile, he was the elephant in the room. The emo elephant dressed in all black, holding a duffel bag wearing a scowl on his face.

The man sitting at the front desk eyed Keith, quirking a brow. He gave the man a lopsided smile, trying not to look suspicious, and then shuffled out of the room. Past there was a long hallway, with a few doors on each side. Keith assumed those led into practice rooms. He tried to listen for the sound of Shiro’s voice coming from any of them.

However, he heard something else that caught his attention. Coming from a room just ahead was a song, mostly muffled by the door, but he could still make out the soft piano. The melody was familiar, but he was sure he’d heard it in an old rock song that was definitely more hardcore than whatever was playing now. _A cover, maybe?_ He thought to himself. Keith approached the door, pressing his ear against it to better make out the tune. Then, very quietly, he opened up the door, peeking inside.

And his jaw dropped.

A boy stood center of the room, completely alone, and facing opposite Keith. As the slow introduction to the song played out, he began to dance. But, it was clear that this was more than a simple dance. With each note, his body twisted and swung in time in a manner that made Keith forget how to breathe. He was tall, looking to be around Keith’s age, with beautifully tanned skin, freckles dotting the surface. His figure was that of a dancer’s, lean, but moving with too much grace and agility to be called lanky. Each curve, that of his hips, his slender arms, his toned calves, even the small arches of his pointed feet, was absolutely beautiful. There was a slight pause in the song, where the stranger turned his face towards the side. It was then Keith got a glance at his expression. The boy’s blue eyes stared out with an emotion Keith couldn’t quite place, his brows were knit together in something between concentration and a deep sadness. Keith felt a pang of sorrow in his chest, just by looking at him. Suddenly, the music picked up pace, as did the dancer. He began to engage in a series of spins, increasing in speed, but he never seemed to lose control of himself. As he spun, he picked up his leg, raising it until it was above his head, delicately pointed. He stopped, letting his leg fall and then moving across the floor. Keith simply couldn’t understand how he moved like that, onto the floor, back up again. The music began to slow and gently, he spread out his arms, then pulled them back in, his whole body collapsing into the move. The song ended, and the dancer remained like that for a moment.

Keith released that his hand was resting on his chest, clutching his t-shirt tightly. A light blush dusted his cheeks, the only sound left was the beating of his own heart.

The stranger relaxed, easing back into a normal posture. He turned now, then spotted Keith. The two locked eyes for a moment, both unable to look away. The dancer softened his features, revealing a brilliant smile that was both subtle and blinding at the same time.

Keith slammed the door shut.

He released his grip on his shirt, pressing his back to the closed door and letting himself lean against it. Taking a deep breath, he relaxes, closing his eyes for a moment. The only image in his mind were those bright blue eyes, filled with-

_Nope, nope, nope, nopety nope, nope, nope. You are not going to go through this shit again, Kogane. Pull yourself the fuck together._

Keith straightened up, running a hand through his dark locks and continuing in the direction he was headed.

_What the fuck? You don’t even know this guy’s name. You are not catching feelings._

Eventually, Shiro walks out from a room, grinning and waving at whoever was inside. As he tries to close the door, a little toddler hurries out, latching onto his leg.

“Please, Mr. Shiro! Come dance with us!” The little girl begged, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. Shiro laughed, reaching down to pick her up. Allura comes out of the room, taking the child from her boyfriend, sharing the same smile.

“I am so sorry, and I will see you later,” she says, beginning to head back inside. Shiro leans forward, giving her a quick kiss that causes Keith’s upper lip to curl, and waves goodbye. All the warmth in his face disappears as his eyes come upon Keith.

“Thanks for waiting up,” he said, sarcasm obvious in his voice.

Keith simply folded his arms, tucking his bag over his shoulder. “You were taking longer than usual.”

Shiro walked past him, giving Keith a pat on the shoulder. “Patience yields focus, Keith,” he said, walking out of the hallway.

Groaning, Keith followed behind him, but not without glancing back to the door which the dancer was behind.

 

* * *

 

The next day, after his workout (which was less boxing, to Keith’s dismay but Shiro’s insistence), as the two were leaving, Keith turned to Shiro and asked 

“So, uh, are you gonna go talk to Allura?”

Shiro looked over to him, quirking a brow. “I wasn’t planning on it, no. Why?”

“No reason,” Keith deflected, fixing his bag’s strap on his shoulder. “I was just thinking you and her should talk or something,” as he continued speaking, his voice quieted to a mere mumble. “But, whatever. Just a thought.”

“Talk?” Shiro repeated, stopping before the door to the studio. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to go check up on how she’s doing…”

“Okay, cool, let’s go up there then,” Keith said quickly, already through the door and heading up the stairs.

Shiro followed behind him, calling out since Keith was way ahead of him. “Keith, what’s this about?”

Once both had reached the top of the stairs, Keith simply shrugged, looking down at the floor. “Nothing, just go.” Shiro opened his mouth, ready to speak again, but closed it. Sometimes, it was best not to try to pry something out of Keith. So, he headed off towards Allura’s room, silently. Once he was out of view, Keith headed towards the same room he had seen the stranger in the day before. For a moment, he pressed his ear against the door, trying to hear for music.

But, there was only silence. Keith frowned, sighing and turning away. Of course the guy wouldn’t be there at the same time in the same room, how stupid was he? He was about to walk away, but then he heard it.

It was another song, this one much more upbeat, like a music box. Keith couldn’t fight the soft smile on his face as he heard it playing. Once again, he slowly opened the door, peeking through. To his joy, the boy was in there, beginning to dance again. His movements were quicker, much unlike yesterday’s dance. But, like yesterday’s dance, Keith was completely entranced.

Eventually the song ended, with the boy center in the room. He sat down on the ground, putting out a leg to stretch it. Keith began closing the door, trying to sneak away before he noticed him.

“So you’re just gonna stand there and stalk me, then leave?”

Keith froze, meeting eyes with the other through the mirror.

_You idiot, of course he can see you there’s a mirror right in front of him. How did you miss that?_

“I, uh… what?”

The stranger turned his head towards him, leaning down to touch his toes. “You heard me.” Despite his words, there was no hostility in his tone. In fact, he seemed to be smirking slightly, looking Keith up and down and not trying to hide it. “You like what you see?”

Keith felt the heat in his cheeks, which were definitely a bright shade of pink by now. “I-I was just, er- passing by.”

“You just _happened_ to be passing by this dance studio?” The stranger asked, standing up now and stepping towards Keith who was still in the doorway.

“No, I’m waiting for my brother,” Keith responded, shaking his head a bit too much.

The stranger cocked his head to the side comically. “Is he a student or something?”

“No, his girlfriend-” Keith cut himself off, folding his arms. He shouldn’t be getting so flustered around this guy, he was just a dancer with a pretty face and cute freckles and moves like _wow-_

_Calm down, Kogane._

“It doesn’t matter, I should find him anyway,” Keith said, turning to leave. But, he felt a hand on his wrist, holding him back. He turned, narrowing his eyes.

“Can I at least get your name?” The boy asked, his face softening from what seemed like a permanent smirk. “I’m Lance.”

_Lance._

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke. “...Keith.” With that, he pulled his wrist from Lance’s grip, walking out of the room.

_Lance._

He walked over to Allura’s room to find Shiro, repeating the name in his head like a mantra as he put his hands in his pockets. A soft smile came across his face.

_Lance Lance Lance Lance_

He was in deep trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> In case you were wondering (which you probably weren't) the two songs Lance were dancing to are:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnIE171XkIY
> 
> and
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFXPIee0O2s
> 
> I'm sure you can figure which is which.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. The way he speaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge is horrible at making plans and Keith has horrible luck. It's going to be a great day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys if you want abs do a sit up every time Keith says "the fuck," furrows his brows, or anyone does something "softly."  
> Also took a lot out of this chapter, I have so many drafts, so excuse the frequent page splits.
> 
> Anyways, hope y'all like this chapter, I'm sorry about the fluctuating chapter lengths and update schedules. School's started for me so I'm working on it. Aaaaand y'all prob don't care.
> 
> Enjoy! xx

The day began as usual, as dark and bitter as his coffee. The dim rays of light that came through Keith’s cheap blinds were not nearly enough to illuminate the small bedroom, even as he looked around, his eyes might as well have been closed. A bruised hand reached out from beneath the mass of sheets and blankets,, grasping at thin air and dragging across the nightstand until it finally finds the rectangular device that controlled his life and, he assumed, would someday be the end of it. A simple click, and the phone was on at a deadly brightness that caused Keith to squint violet eyes.

 

UNREAD MESSAGES:

_Pidge_

(8:11AM) are you awake yet

(8:12AM) are you awake yet

(8:13AM) are you awake yet

(8:14AM) KEITH

(8:23AM) youre an adult (loser) you should be awake by now

(8:46AM) KEEEEEEEITH

(8:58AM) answer ur texts >:[ !!!!!!!

(9:15AM) just text me back when ur awake

(9:16AM) probably having wet dreams about transformers or sum shit

(9:16AM) ohhhhh megatron

(9:17AM) _[blushinganimegirl.jpeg]_

(9:18AM) anyway TEXT ME BACK

 

_Do not answer_

(11:53PM) Seriously, ignoring me?

(11:54AM) Fuck you

 

Keith let out a sigh, putting his phone down on his nightstand and rolling back under the covers. He let his eyelids flutter shut once more, resting his hands on top of his chest. He had nothing to do today, so what’s the problem with just a few more minutes of sleep 

His phone began going off, now from a call rather than a text message. Keith rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands, letting out a low groan, which turned into shouting a rather rude curse. His hand slapped down on the nightstand, and he internally winced at the pain that shot through it. Eventually, he found his phone and answered the call, not bothering to check who it was.

“What do you want?” 

“Jeez, it’s nice to hear from you too, Keith,” came the voice on the other end. Pidge, of course, she never missed the opportunity to remind him that he’s a “fuckn nerd!!!!”

“Pidge, what the fuck? It’s like, six in the morning.”

“First of all, it’s noon, and second of all, you didn’t answer my texts.” Oh, right. Keith had only half-processed what he was reading earlier. Whoops. “So I wanted to know if you were dead yet.”

“Okay, well, I’m not. Now can you let me go back to sleep?”

“No, get dressed, doll yourself up, you have plans today.”

Keith stood now, letting out a small grunt as he stretched out his back. “Plans?” He murmured, more to himself. “I don’t remember making any plans.”

“That’s because I made them for you,” she said, as if this was obvious. “Are you getting ready?”

“No, that’s because I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay, great” Pidge said, quiet on her line for a second. “I’m outside your apartment.”

Keith’s brows knit together, lips pressed into a firm frown. Pidge wouldn’t actually- on second thought, yes she would. He peeked out of his window to the street below, greeted by the familiar site of Pidge’s jeep (why she had a jeep, he’d never understand). “Pidge, what the fuck?”

“Well I kind of got roped into going on a hike with my friends today, and I really don't want to go, because gross. I figured, ‘Keith’s athletic and shit, he’s a moody shut-in too, if I take him, I won't be the person who doesn't want to be there the most!’ You follow me?” She asked.

“Yeah, I'm following.”

“But, I sorta forgot to ask you, so can you _please_ do me this favor?”

There was a long pause on Keith’s end of the line, as he considered this. “Okay, fine, but you have to tell Shiro that I went and super enthusiastic.” Pause.  “Actually, he’s not gonna buy that, just tell him you didn’t drag me along.” Keith moved towards his closet, looking around for something to wear. “He’s been on my back about ‘getting out more’ ever since…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute. Can we pick up breakfast?”

 

* * *

 

Pidge didn’t mention that they were hiking a mountain. She also didn’t mention that it was going to be an all day thing. She also didn’t mention that it was hot as hell.

“You owe me, so bad,” Keith said as they looked through the trunk of the jeep. Pidge had told him that she threw whatever seemed hike-appropriate in there and hoped for the best. “Pidge, you don’t even have a water bottle, what the fuck?”

She leaned against the side of the car, on her phone. In response, she shrugged lightly, glancing over to Keith. “I dunno, I bought trail mix at 7/11 though, that’s gotta be good for something.” Keith internally facepalmed and continued his continuing his rummaging. “Oh, there they are!” She said, perking up and tucking her phone in her pocket. Another car pulled up to the mouth of the trail, this one a heinous shade of yellow. _Is it supposed a fucking taxi?_ He thought to himself, folding his arms (his default position).. Although Pidge promised her friends were cool and that Keith would like them, he still was unsure about this whole thing. Afterall, Pidge was still in college, and although she hung out with mostly older crowds, he was hoping that she wouldn’t bring along some geeky kids. He was not in the mood to babysit.

However, the two boys emerging from the car were not anything like he thought they would be. First, from the driver’s seat, came a larger guy with dark skin. His black, slick hair was held back by an orange headband, which Keith was trying hard not to judge. As he spotted Pidge, a wide grin came across his face.

“Pidge! Hey dude! I’m so glad you didn’t ditch us, I was a bit nervous that you would,” he said, pulling the other into a massive hug. His voice was loud, and bellowing, like one of those giant teddy bears could talk. Pidge didn’t seem to mind the huge hold on herself, smiling up at the other, then wriggling free.

“I may still leave you losers stranded in the woods, but, thanks,” she says, fixing her glasses.

Next, the guy turned to Keith, his smile widening, which he didn’t think was possible. “Hey! Pidge told me she was bringing her friend,” he said, stepping over. “I’m Hunk!”

Keith eyed him for a moment, then extended a hand. “Keith,” he said simply, forcing a small smile. It was obvious that Hunk would rather have hugged him, but he respected boundaries. That was nice.

“Awesome to meet you, Keith!”

“Hunk, we need to turn back,” came a voice from inside of the car, not in view yet. “The guy at Starbucks totally skimmed out on the whip cream.” Out from the passenger’s side stuck out the longest pair of legs Keith had ever seen, followed by a body that seemed familiar- _Oh shit._

_Lance._

And there was the undeniable thumping of his heart, feeling like it was going to leap right out of his chest.. Keith brushed his hair away from his eyes, hoping that his vision was just obscured, and this wasn’t actually happening to him right now. But, no, he was still there, clear as day.

_Lance._

“I mean, come on!” Lance continued on, walking over to Hunk and showing him his near-empty Starbucks cup. “It’s basically hollow!”

Hunk leaned down a bit to inspect the cup, taking the matter seriously. “Wow, bro, you should call customer service.”

“I know right!” Lance exclaimed, throwing his arms up dramatically. Keith wanted to crawl inside the trunk of the jeep and hide away. Why was the universe so keen on destroying him? “Anyway, Pidge-Podge,” he said, turning to the other. “Are you excited to finally get your explorer’s badge for boyscouts?”

Pidge flipped him off. “I don’t know, are you excited to finally get rid of your fucking chicken legs by moving for once?”

“Hey! They’re not chicken legs! And I move!” Lance looked down at himself, then to Hunk. “Do I have chicken legs?”

Hunk put a hand ( _holy shit they’re like baseball gloves)_ on Lance’s shoulder, shaking his head. “Of course not, you have beautiful legs.”

Lance smiled softly at Hunk. “Thanks, bro.” He turned to Pidge, then shouted. “See?! Hunk thinks my legs are _beautiful_!” Pidge just rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone again.  Lance folded his arms, his eyes drifting over to Keith. “Holy shit, you’re the guy!” He yelled, pointing to him.

Keith sunk down a bit further into his jacket, wishing the collar would swallow him whole. “That’s not me,” he said, cursing his own stupidity.

_That’s not me? Is that the best you got?_

“Yes it is! Oh my god, you’re, uh, shit… Keith! You’re Keith, right?” Lance stepped closer, giving the other the same smirk he had a few days prior. Keith thought that if he didn’t go to the studio for a few days, Lance would just forget about him (although he secretly hoped that he wouldn’t).

“I don’t know him. That’s not me.”

“Hunk, this is the guy from the studio I was telling you about!” Lance said, turning to Hunk and gesturing for him to come over.

“ _This_ is pretty stalker boy?” Hunk asked, looking from Lance to Keith, then back again. He looked at Keith, wide eyed, and then dipped his head in respect. “Huge honor to meet you, big fan of your work.”

_Pretty?_

“Well now that we’re all acquainted, can we get a move on? I’m only going to be this cheery for so long,” Pidge interrupted, stepping between the group. Keith let out a small sigh of relief, letting his shoulders hunch slightly.

Lance stepped back, smiling still, and went over to the car. Hunk did the same, both of them grabbing backpacks. “All ready over here,” Hunk said, looking to Pidge, who looked to Keith. Keith simply shrugged, grabbing his water bottle and clipping it to the loop of his jeans.

“Then let’s get a move on!”

 

* * *

 

They were a half hour into the hike, and Keith realized he had made a mistake.

Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were all in their own little world, walking in a clump which Keith was not a part of. Of course they’d all group together, they were actually friends. And he was just… there. It wasn’t horrible, Keith usually took walks by himself, time to clear his head.

But how the fuck was he expected to “clear his head” when Lance was _right there_ ? Standing just a few feet away from him, looking like… well, _that._

Keith would catch himself staring at him occasionally, and when Lance would meet his eyes, his cheeks would go bright red, and he’d force himself to look away. This was so embarrassing, just his luck.

“So, do you talk?”

Even luckier.

Lance had split from the two, opting to walk beside Keith on the trail.

“What?” Keith asked, looking over to him. “You’ve heard me talk.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ve heard you utter more than a sentence. And you’re always hunched over and mumbling,” Lance said, hunching over and mumbling for dramatic effect. Self-consciously, Keith straightened his posture.

“I do not.” There was a silence between the two, Keith put his hands in his jacket pockets, unsure of what to say.

“So, how do you know Pidge?” Lance asked, looking to Keith.

“Our brothers met through their dads and, yeah. I guess we’re family friends? I’ve known him since I was 15,” Keith was careful not to disclose too much. He wasn’t too fond of sharing his past, but he didn’t think Lance was trying to pry.

“Shiro, right?”

Keith looked to Lance, furrowing his brows in confusion. “How the fuck did you know that?”

“Oh, I was just talking to Allura and she told me about him and then about you and, yeah,” he answered, speaking quickly.

A smile tugged at Keith’s lips, it was nice to see a guy that was so confident acting so nervous. “And you called _me_ the stalker.”

Lance smiled too, and Keith couldn’t help but stare at the way his lips curved upwards, to the left, and the way his whole face smiled too, making his little freckles dance.

_That’s really gay, Keith._

“Shiro, yeah. We go to the gym on the first floor, which is why I was up there.” The air around them had shifted, maybe because they were going up a mountain, or maybe it was because Keith was feeling more comfortable talking to Lance.

“Ooh, a guy who works out,” Lance said, wiggling his brows suggestively. “So, what, are you always ‘on that grind, pumpin’ iron, bro’?” He used a comically low voice, a slight growl to it.

Keith rolled his eyes. “No, I mostly do boxing.”

“Boxing? That’s,” he paused. “That’s really cool!"

“Uh, thanks,” Keith said, caught off guard by Lance’s honest enthusiasm. “So, you dance? That’s really cool too.”

 

* * *

  

They had been walking for an hour, and that’s when Pidge declared they were done.

“What? But, there’s still so much more trail left! I thought you wanted to see the view from the mountains!” Hunk whined, frowning like a kicked puppy.

“Hunk, I am so bored, I can’t tell if I’m peeing or not,” Pidge said, folding her arms.

Hunk cringed, copying Pidge’s stance. “That’s gross, Pidge.”

“It’s true! Keith, are you with me?”

Keith turned to Pidge, who had interrupted his side conversation with Lance (Yes! They were having full conversations!). “Um, whatever Pidge says, I second.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah, I third.”

Neither of them had heard a word of the conversation.

Hunk sighed, dejected. “Alright, that’s fair,” he said sadly.

Lance walked over to Hunk, repeating the same comforting hand-on-shoulder motion he had performed before. “It’s okay, Hunky, we can go hiking again sometime. Just, maybe not with the worst hiking partner in the world.” Side-eye at Pidge.

Keith felt a little disappointed as he realized what he had voted for. He was hoping that he could keep talking to Lance.

 _That’s_ really _gay, Keith._

They all walked the hour back to the beginning of the trail, now chatting as a group. He’d never admit it, but Keith actually liked talking with everyone. Although he was never a fan of this whole “group hangout” idea, but it was nice. He learned that everyone had met in college, when Hunk and Lance, roommates at the time, were looking for a techie to fix the dorm TV. That was Pidge, a freshman at the time, who did fix the TV, set up their Xbox, and then played video games with them for hours. Hunk loved cooking, and wanted to pursue that or engineering, which he and Keith bonded over. He and Lance went to highschool together, and had actually been best friends since forever. All of them were single, but Hunk potentially had a “thing” with a girl named Shay. (Keith hid his relief, he was nervous that with all their touchy-feely shit, he and Lance could be a “thing”).

By the end of their short time together, Keith was surprisingly happy he came with Pidge. Her friends were actually cool, as she had claimed. But, once again that pang of disappointment hit him when they reached the end (beginning?) of the trail, back to the cars.

“See you later, dudes!” Hunk had said, waving at the others as he got into his car. “Keith, let me know when you’re free, I’d love to cook for you sometime!”

Keith had given him a soft smile and waved back. “I’ll do that.”

Lance moved over to Keith, “Hold on, I’m documenting this,” he said, holding up his phone and standing beside him to take a selfie. Keith looked at the camera, furrowing his brows when he saw two dog ears and a nose pop up on his face. Lance grinned, taking the photo. “Oh, my god, this is great, you look so confused! What’s your snapchat?”

Keith’s look of confusion remained. “Snapchat?” He repeated.

Lance’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement. “Oh my god, give me your phone, right now.” Keith handed it over, watching curiously. “What do you want as a username?”

“Uh, Keith?”

Lance frowned, unimpressed. “How about…. Emo dot boy, when’s your birthday?”

“October 23rd.”

“Emo dot boy 1023. It’s perfect, google how to use it, I’ll snapchat you!” Lance handed Keith back his phone, then hurried back to the car.

Keith held his phone tightly, nodding. “Okay,” he said quietly.

 

* * *

 

“So, are you gonna tap that or what?” Pidge had asked, looking over to Keith from the driver’s seat.

“Fuck off,” Keith said simply, checking his phone and smiling softly.

_New snapchat from: Lanceylance2_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks sm for reading! I have literally been riding the emotional high last chapter's response has given me for the past few days, so if you like it feel free to show some love. And as always, comments, criticism, and kudos are all greatly appreciated!!!!
> 
> xx


	3. The way he feels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Keith strike a deal, and Pidge is still... there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! sorry this chapter took so long, i had a bunch of diff drafts of it, but ended up either scrapping them or saving them for later chapters. decided i would hit yall with the angst soon, but not quite yet. dont worry, its coming!!!
> 
> anyways, thanks for checking this out, hope yall enjoy!
> 
> xx

It was another typical Monday morning, filled with the smell of sweat and rubber. In fact, Keith’s whole body felt like sweat and rubber after the intense circuit he had just completed. Although having a personal trainer for a brother could be helpful sometimes, it mostly just meant that Shiro would be even harder on Keith than he was on his clients. Even worse, Shiro would yell at him while they were exercising, keeping up with him perfectly and not even seeming to break a sweat. But, when they were done, both the boys had dark stains covering their shirts, and were taking extra towels. When you’re, as Shiro calls them, a “gym junkie,” you get accustomed to the feeling.

“Keith, we’ve been here for two hours and you haven’t left me to go box yet. Is something up?” Shiro had said to Keith while the two were in the stretching area. He was in a side plank, holding himself up by his prosthetic (which Keith never really understood, but also never really commented on it).

Keith shrugged, putting himself into a lunge. “No, somedays I just don’t want to punch anything.”

Shiro glanced down at him, then back up. “Point your feet forward,” he said flatly. “Is it a boy?” Now, there was a teasing tone to his voice.

This only made his brother turn away from him, squaring his hips forward. “No, it’s not a boy, why do you always think it’s a boy?”

“The last time you didn’t want to box was when you started dating…” he began, trailing off like everybody did at the mention of  _ him _ .

_ Maybe if you stopped avoiding every mention of him, you could get over him. _

“It’s not a boy,” Keith muttered.

“Alright, alright, whatever you say.”

“Okay,” Keith said, going quiet again. He stood now, feeling a small  _ pop _ in his knees. 

_ Why don’t you just tell him? _

Keith’s face was fixed for a moment. “But, if it was a boy-”

“It  _ is _ a boy!”

“No it’s not!”

“But it is.”

“But it isn’t! But If if was-”

“Which it is-”

“Which it isn’t! But if it was, how can you tell if you like him? Really like him?” Keith’s voice was low, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to ask Shiro about this. “Forget it.”

“Well, you only have one choice, then. Go for it,” Shiro’s tone was surprisingly gentle as he stood, examining Keith’s expression.

“Go for it?” He repeated, scoffing. “Shiro, I haven’t even known him that long, I don’t want to just go for it.”   
“So, don’t go for it.”

“And let nothing happen?”

“Yup,” Shiro folded his arms.

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, I think you should just be his friend.”

Now Keith was agitated. “I don’t wanna be his friend, I wanna kiss his neck!” He felt his cheeks flare up as he turned his face away, embarrassed that he just blurted that out.

However, Shiro simply smiled, letting out a small chuckle. “Then, looks like you have your answer.”

Keith looked back to his brother, his features mollifying as he realized that Shiro did just answer his question. “Thanks,” was all he could say.

In return, he got a smile, and both headed out of the gym.

 

* * *

 

Once again, Keith found himself upstairs at the dance studio, wandering through the hall to find the boy that kept him awake at night, occupying his mind.

As he roamed the hall, he noticed how he didn’t feel so out of place, the little ballet slippers decorating the space seemed sweet and not as tacky. Now, they reminded him of Lance, causing him to smile to himself, demurely.

Soon, he heard the music. Well,  _ felt _ it was a better word. It seemed Lance had opted for something more modern, upbeat and techno. The bass was heavy, like a thumping in his chest. But, that could just be the boy behind the door. Gently, Keith turned the knob, peeking inside to make sure he wasn’t mistaken.

Lance was spinning, his body a blur as he continued to turn and turn and turn. Just watching him, Keith felt dizzy. Once he stopped, sharp and abrupt, Keith got a peek at his expression. It wasn’t the faraway sadness he had seen once, it was a look of concentration that broke into a grin when it came upon Keith. Lance’s body loosened into a casual stance as he turned to face the door.

“Keith, my man! I was starting to think you disappeared, you keep ignoring my snapchats!” Lance picked up his phone, lowering the music volume so he could hear a response.

“I, uh, couldn’t figure out how to send the pictures back,” he said, now realizing how dumb he sounded. In reality, he had been too busy admiring Lance’s photos, then trying to take ones of himself that didn’t look too horrible to send back. But, he could never get his angles right. 

“You can just google that, you know?” Lance said, putting his hands on his hips. 

“Yeah, I’ll get on that.”

_ Remember what Shiro said, just try to be his friend. _

“So, what were you doing? Did I interrupt?” Keith asked, taking a step out of the doorway.

Lance shook his head. “Nah, I’m just doing some pirouettes right now.”

Keith nodded, putting his hands into his pockets as his eyes went anywhere but Lance’s.

“Do you know what that means?” The other boy asked, quirking a perfectly arched brow. “Come here, I’ll show you. And take your shoes off.” Keith walked over to come beside him, kicking off his sneakers in the process. “Okay, arms out.”

“Hold on, is this some sort of dancing lesson?” Keith asked, noting the fact that, without his shoes, he had to crane his neck upwards slightly to look at Lance. “Because, I don’t dance. At all.”

“Relax, I’m just showing you how to turn, follow my lead.” Lance put one arm out straight before him, then to the side, Keith doing the same. Then, he stuck his toes outward, one foot behind the other, which Keith copied again. “Then, you just,” In one fluid motion, he jolted up onto his toe, the other pressing on the side of his leg, and did one full turn, perfectly. “Turn.”

Keith pressed his lips into a firm line, then tried to copy the motion. However, his turn ended quickly, and he stumbled out of it, hands reaching out as he tried to find his balance again. This earned a small laugh from Lance, who turned his head aside to hide it. Keith could feel his cheeks burning.

_ Great job, asshole. Now he thinks you’re a clumsy idiot. _

“That was good, for your first try. Go back into the initial position,” Lance instructed. Keith noticed that his blue eyes were trailing down, and he suddenly felt self-conscious. He was out of his gym clothes, clad in the skinny jeans he wore everywhere (were they too skinny?) and a dark t-shirt (maybe the v-neck is too much? Pidge says it’s too gay). The taller boy stepped closer as Keith assumed the position, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his waist to straighten him up. Keith’s arms fell slightly as Lance’s hand wrapped around to press against his lower back.

There it was, the beating of his heart, and he thought he could hear Lance’s too, in time with his own. Their faces were close, bodies intertwined with each other’s as they simply stood there and stared in silence. Keith was never much of a dancer, but in this moment, he wanted to pull Lance close and just  _ move _ to whatever was playing. This close, he could count the freckles that dotted the other’s dark skin, and he wanted to, forever. In this single moment, this singularity that felt like it was going to set Keith’s world aflame, everything was suspended. Even the particles in the air seemed to stop, letting the delicate light surround them, uninterrupted.

Lance reached a hand up, brushing a stray hair away from Keith’s eyes, his touch was soft. And then, it was gone. Lance stepped back, folding his arms and clearing his throat. “Okay, try again.”

_ What was that? _

And Keith did, performing the small spin. It wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t fall, and didn’t feel so stiff this time. That had to be a good sign, right?

“Okay, I know you ‘don’t dance,’ but you should consider it. Seriously, you could be great.”

Keith scoffed. “Yeah, right, I’ll dance the day I see you fight.”

“Done.”

“What?” There was something in Lance’s expression that made it seem like he was scheming, a mischief in his eyes.

“I’ll teach you how to dance, and you can teach me how to fight.” A smile spread across his features as he took a step closer.

“Okay, but I don’t  _ want _ to dance,” Keith crossed his arms.

“Oh come on, it’ll be fun. Afterword, just don’t tell anyone you’re secretly an amazing dancer, so then it won’t ruin your whole ‘angsty emo boy’ thing.”

Keith’s face squished in annoyance. “I don’t have an angsty emo boy thing.”

Lance just rolled his eyes, sticking out a hand. “So, do we have a deal.” Keith was quiet, considering it. “Pwease? For me?” He spoke in an obnoxious baby voice, pouting.

“Okay, fine, deal.” Keith shook his hand (later, he would swear that he felt an electric buzz- a shock, when he did).

_ Just be his friend, you can do that. _

 

* * *

 

“You  _ WHAT?”  _ Pidge had nearly yelled in the small coffee shop, earning a few glances from strangers.

“Keep your voice down!” Keith said, taking a sip of his drink.

The two were at their daily coffee meeting, where Pidge liked to poke fun at Keith, who was just there for the croissants and cheap drinks.

“Oh my god, you are such a flirt,” she said, an impressed grin coming across her face.

“I wasn’t even trying to flirt, he suggested the idea to me.” Keith had told Pidge about the deal, and she was very enthusiastic about the whole ordeal.

“But you agreed. So, you’re into him! I have to text Hunk, holy shit,” she said, whipping out her phone which Keith soon grabbed from her hands.

“No, no, no, I did not say I was into him. Because I’m not.”

Pidge’s eyes narrowed, her lips curled into a scowl. “Don’t lie to me, Kogane. I’ve known you forever, and I know that you would never dance for someone unless they made your panties drop. Now _ , give me back my fucking phone _ .”

A little scared, Keith did as told. Pidge, albeit small, was terrifying. He knew well that she could ruin his life easily, so he prefered not to piss her off. “Just, don’t tell people, okay? It’s never gonna happen anyway.”

“Well, not with that attitude,” Pidge remarked, sipping her coffee. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, that it could happen if you weren’t such a wuss. Lance is totally into you.”

Keith fought a smile. 

_ Into me? _

“If he’s so into me, then why doesn’t he make a move? Isn’t he supposed to be the confident one?”

Pidge nodded. “Lance may be confident, but he’s not an idiot. Scratch that. Lance is a total idiot. But, he’s an idiot with a fear of rejection. Obviously, he wouldn’t make the first move.”

“So, you think I should?” The possibility of Lance liking him,  _ like _ liking him had Keith buzzing, his fingers gripped tightly around his cup of coffee.

“Duh. Do it, text him right now.”

“I don’t actually have his number.”

Pidge raised her hands, her nose scrunching up. “Are you fucking with me right now? You’ve been gaying after this guy for over a week and you  _ still _ haven’t gotten his number?”

“We snapchat!” Keith said defensively. They had a streak, with a little fire emoji next to each other’s names.

“Get his number,” Pidge said, clearly demanding this and not asking.

Keith frowned, opening up his phone to snapchat. “And how do you suggest I should ask for it?”

“Yeah, just say, ‘hey,’” Pidge began in her obnoxiously low Keith impression. “‘Give me your number so I can send you spicy pics of me.’ Winky face, water squirt, whining face.”

Keith cringed, speaking as he typed out a message to Lance, on top a photo of his coffee. “Send-me-your-number, should I type out number or do the number sign?” Pidge shrugged. “Number sign. Want-to-send-you-a-video. Send.”

(Somewhere, a cuban boy just opened his messages and is now smiling like the idiot he is)

“Wow, that was pretty smooth. Not the route we were heading down, but you’re getting there. What video are you gonna send?”

Keith froze up, realizing an error in his plan. “I didn’t think that far ahead.” Pidge facepalmed, sighing. “Shit, what do I do?”

“Change your name, move to Canada, start a new life. You fucked up.”

Soon came Lance’s photo, a selfie as usual, with his digits typed out. To make matters worse, he added a winky face. Keith wanted to melt.

“I’m just gonna tell him,” he finally decided, putting Lance’s number into his phone.

“Sure, ‘Hey Lance, I’m a flaming homosexual. Like, red hot cheeto flaming, and even though I’ve only stalked you for a week, I just want you to know that when I think of you, my weenie goes wowzers!’”

“Something like that.”

 

Lance McClain

11:43AM

Keith: I don’t actually have a video to show you

Keith: I just wanted your number

Lance: :O

Lance: youre smooth, kogane

Keith: For the deal of course

Lance: suuuuuure ;)

 

What was with this boy and winky faces?

 

* * *

 

“If you ever get mugged, you’re so fucked.”

It was Tuesday, and after a long string of text messages from Lance, begging for a boxing session, Keith had caved and decided to head into the gym early, before Shiro was there. If he saw the two, Keith would never hear the end of it (“You have a boyfriend? Are you being safe? Is he treating you right? When is he coming for dinner?”).

“Well, maybe if you were a better teacher, I could beat up those muggers,” Lance said, huffing. He tried to fold his arms, which didn’t quite work with boxing gloves on. “Can I take off these stupid things? You don’t wear them!”

“I don’t wear them because I don’t need to,” Keith said, stepping towards him, beside the bag.

“No fair!”

“Yes fair, I’ve been boxing since you were still sucking your thumb.” Lance looked at him in disbelief. “Maybe an exaggeration, but I know what I’m doing. You’re still learning. Show me your crouch.”

Lance pouted, half-assing the stance. “How’s this?”

“If I blew in your direction, you’d fall over. Come on Lance, put some effort into it.” Keith stepped towards him, grabbing his wrists and bending them. “Feet closer together, protect your center.” Lance did as told, earning a smile from Keith. He stepped back, leaving Lance with the bag. “Now, punch.”

Lance did so, punching the bag as hard as he could. But, he stumbled slightly.

Keith shook his head. “You have no center of balance. You fight like a dancer, throwing your whole body into a move. You’ll get knocked down like that.”

Lance groaned, pulling off the gloves. “Okay, that’s enough, fighting is hard. I thought you just went in there and punched shit, but  _ no _ , there’s rules.” Keith shrugged, both boys heading to their gym bags (Well, Lance’s was his dance bag) and grabbing their phones. “Hey-” Lance began, cut off by Keith who lifted a finger as he answered an incoming call.

“Hello?” He said when he heard nothing on the other line.

“Keith?” Asked an all-too-familiar voice, one that made his stomach turn and his whole body stiffen. He hung up, putting the phone back in his bag. He should’ve read the caller ID, reading  _ Do not answer.  _ An incoming flood of thoughts ran through Keith’s head.

_ Why is he calling? What does he want? Fuck, fuck, fuck- _

“Who was that?” Asked Lance, snapping Keith back to the moment.

_ Lie _ .

“Wrong number.”

Lance frowned, but didn’t pry more, it was obvious that Keith was hiding something. “Okay, well, I was gonna ask what you were doing tonight.”

Keith picked up his bag. “Tonight? Um, nothing.”

“Oh, awesome!” Lance grinned, doing the same.

“Why?”

“Do you want to go to a party with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!!! as always, comments, criticism, and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> much love! :*


	4. The way he worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is going well, except for when an unwelcome visitor shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo wee, sorry this one took longer!  
> I hope yall like it, although its a bit shorter than id like.  
> I guess I should put a trigger warning: allusion to past emotional abuse  
> if youre sensitive to that, use caution please!   
> anyways, enjoy! xx

Keith was ecstatic.

_ “Do you want to go to a party with me?” _

Of course he wanted to go to a party with him, of course he had said yes, of course he hid his excitement until he was alone. Keith celebrated with a big fist pump to the air, then spinning in one of those turns Lance had showed him.

_ “It’s not gonna be a big thing, I don’t know if you can even call it a party.” _

So what it wasn’t actually a date? It was close enough for Keith, and it seemed like they were on the right track to a real date. Just the thought was enough to make him grin like a fool, a fool in love.

“Can you stop smiling like that? You’re starting to freak me out.”

Keith snapped out of his train of thought, looking across the small table to Pidge. “What?”

“Jeez, Keith, can you not have intense sexual fantasies when you’re sitting a foot away from me?”   
“I dunno, can you not be so annoying?”

Pidge  _ tsk tsk _ ed, shaking her head. “You used to have such better comebacks when you weren’t soft.”

“I’m not soft!”

“Oh yeah? If you’re not soft, then why have you been sending your  _ lover _ pictures of you with the dog filter this entire time?”

There were so many things he wanted to argue in that question, but Keith decided to go with; “How did you know that?”

“Because you’ve been posting them on your story too, moron.”

Keith’s face flushed as he looked at his phone, deleting his story quickly. “I’m not soft…”

“Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. I know it's because Lance invited you to the party, anyway.”

“He told you? It’s been less than an hour.”

“More like he texted me, in all caps, ‘Keith is coming tonight! Keith is coming! He said yes!’ He sounded like he had fucking proposed-” Now it was Pidge’s turn to flush. “I don’t think I was supposed to tell you that.”

Keith didn’t bother to hide his smile.

“Just don't be all weird about it, you're weird at parties.”

“I’m not weird at parties,” Keith said defensively, folding his arms.

“Yes, you are. You're not funny when you're drunk, which sucks, and-”

“Woah, I'm a great drunk. Shiro says I’m hilarious.”

“Well, Shiro lied because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings. You blackout and start crying. You’re a sad drunk, Keith.”

“What? I’m not a sad drunk!”

“Remember Matt’s birthday? You saw a knife that was so pretty, and when he said you couldn't have it, you sobbed.”

Keith was quiet for a moment, trying to recall. It sounded like something he would do, but wouldn’t admit to it. “That never happened.”

“I have it on video, maybe I should send it to Lance-”

“No, no, no, no!” He said, reaching out a hand. “I won't be weird tonight, I swear.”

Pidge smirked, standing as she grabbed her backpack. “Okay, I gotta motor, some housewife is paying me to fix her computer’s wifi. I don’t think she knows that airplane mode is on, but I’m sure as fuck not gonna tell her,” she announced, heading towards the door. “I’ll see you later, loser.”

“Bye, geek,” Keith said, giving her a small wave as she left. Immediately, he opened up his phone, pulling up Google.

 

_ Showing results for:  _ _ how to  _ **_flirt_ ** _ with someone out of your league _

 

* * *

 

Lance had told him to arrive at 8:00, so Keith decided that 8:05 was a good time to be fashionably late. After the daily coffee meetup with Pidge, he headed to work for a bit, then back to his apartment.

Yes, Keith did have a job. It wasn’t exactly a  _ real _ job (not according to Shiro) but he did get paid. He worked part-time at an auto repair shop, a task which he claimed was just to make money while he searched for something better.

 

Lance McClain

6:32PM

Lance: what are you wearing 2nite??

Keith: I don’t know, why?

Lance: i have to make sure my outfit doesn’t clash with anyones

Keith: Well what are you wearing?

Lance:  photo-at-6:32.jpeg

 

Attached was a quick snapshot of Lance, clearly taken in a bathroom mirror, with the flash covering his face ( _ damn it _ ). Keith didn’t notice the outfit so much as the obscene amount of products littering his sink.

 

Keith: Do you work at a salon or something?

Lance: ????

Keith: What’s with all the bottles?

Lance: dont diss the routine!!!!!!! 

Lance: it takes hard work to be this flawless

 

Keith smiled to himself as he entered his building, heading up the elevator to his floor. When the doors parted and he stepped out, Keith dropped his phone at what was before him.

_ No, no. _

“Keith! About time you showed up.”

_ This isn’t happening. _

“I’ve been waiting forever.”

_ Why is he here? Why now? _

“I still remember your building code, you’d think they would’ve changed it.”

This was not the boy who made his heart skip a beat, but the boy who had shattered his heart and left the pieces behind. The boy who made his blood run cold and the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The boy who refused to stop, who never took no for an answer, who had to have it his way.

This was  _ Do not answer. _

This was his ex boyfriend.

“What the fuck do you want?” Keith said, his jaw tight. His fists were clenched so firmly, that he was sure his nails were beginning to form cuts. He tried to keep his voice low.

_ Don't let him get to you. _

“Woah, take a breath, Keith. You look stressed,” said the other, putting his hands in his pockets as he looked down to him. The two met eyes, Keith staring up at that familiar gleam of purple, one that once took his breath away. Now, he wished he’d never come upon it. “I’m just here to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Lotor,” Keith replied, sounding out every syllable with grit. Once again, the same feeling of panic that came whenever he received one of his texts set in. But now, it was in his chest, tightening and tightening, a feeling that just said  _ run, get out. _

“Fine, then you can listen.” Lotor took a step forward, leaning down to get closer to Keith. “I thought you would get rid of this haircut,” he mused, reaching out a bony hand to brush away Keith’s bangs.

It was a motion that was too familiar to Keith, causing him to slap Lotor’s hand away and shout, “Don’t touch me!” His aloof, composed expression was gone, his rage evident in his face. His shoulders rose and fell with each heavy breath as he moved away, his back to the wall now.

Lotor didn’t even flinch, simply putting his hand back into his pocket. Across his features came the slightest hint of a smirk, and a raise of his brows. “I’d almost forgotten about your temper.”

Keith was fuming now, his fists aching to get a hit to that smug face. Instead, he tried to walk past him, towards his door. But, Lotor was quicker, stepping between him and the knob. “Get out of my way.”

“You haven’t even heard me out yet,” Lotor whined, throwing in a small pout.

“I don’t want to fucking hear you out, get out of my way!” Keith was shouting again, glaring up to the other. Once again, he was met with no reaction.

“You’re awfully cute when you get all heated like this.” Keith opened his mouth to shout again. “But before you start screaming again, just listen.” After a moment of thought, ( _ What does he want? What do I do? Shit, shit, shit.)  _ Keith stepped back, folding his arms and trying to regain his composure. “That’s better. Now, I’ve found myself in quite a dilemma. I think,” Lotor paused, a conflict strewn across his face. “I think that I miss you, a lot. 

“Miss me?” Keith repeated, aghast. How could Lotor miss him? For a moment, he let his mind wander, looking away. Just the thought of that sat wrongly with him, it didn’t make any sense.

_ It’s been two months, why does he just decide this now? What is he planning? _

“Yes, it surprised me as well. Now, I know we didn’t end on the best of terms-”

“What?” Keith cut him off, his voice low, less of a question and more of a dare for Lotor to continue.

“Well, we had a bad breakup-”

“No, Lotor,  _ you _ had a bad breakup while  _ I  _ was busy fixing my life, and getting away from you.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, Keith.”

“Do you even know what you did to me? How you made me feel about myself? I thought that I deserved you, that you were the best I could do. I didn’t think I was worth  _ anything _ ,” Keith’s voice cracked, a hitch in his breath. It had been over two months since they’d broken up, two months spent trying to superglue his heart back together. Two months thinking of exactly what he would say in this moment. And now, it was here. “I thought that you were special, that you could be the one. I mean, you took the time to figure me out, gain my trust, and to me, that meant that what we had was real.”

“And what we had  _ was _ real-”

“LET ME FUCKING FINISH!” Keith had screamed, his fists clenched once more. Now, Lotor looked scared, a feeling that eased the knot in Keith’s chest slightly. He took a deep breath, like Shiro had taught him whenever he was getting too worked up.

_ “Take a moment, breathe. Whatever it is, it can wait. It’s more important for you to address everything calmly, with a clear head.” _

He would remind himself to thank Shiro later.

“You took  _ everything _ from me, a year of my life I can  _ never _ get back. For that year, I paid the price of an entire lifetime. I thought I had no one else but you, so I shut everyone else out. I couldn't even go anywhere without you because you didn't trust me to be alone!”

Keith could feel a slight wobble in his chin, but ignored it. He couldn't break now.

“You, y-you~” he stopped, cutting himself off with a gasping breath. There they were, hot, fat tears rolling down his cheeks, staining his t-shirt dark. 

It was silent in the hall, except for the occasional sob from Keith. After just standing like that for a while, he felt Lotor’s hand on his shoulder.

“Are you proud of yourself?”

Keith looked up, shrugging Lotor’s hand off of him. “What?”

“You gave your little speech, almost held it together, are you proud of yourself?”

Keith stepped back, silent.  _ This _ was the Lotor he knew, finding ways to toy with his head

“I’ll admit, it was pretty impressive. Standing up to me like a playground bully. But, you’re forgetting one small thing,” he said, leaning down so his lips just barely brushed Keith’s ear. And, in a voice that set shivers down his spine, he said; “I  _ always _ get what I want.”

With that, he was gone, walked into the elevator and left. 

Keith could feel his blood rushing as he remained in the hallway, frozen in place. Lotor’s final words had clouded over his head, weighing him down. He blinked, snapping back into the moment as he fumbled for his keys, missing the lock a few times before going into his apartment. Once inside, he leaned against the door, sinking down to the ground. 

_ What the fuck does that mean? _

Keith’s breathing was quickening, ragged as he ran both hands through his hair.

_ Breathe, Keith, Breathe. _

He repeated the mantra in his head, but it wasn’t working. Instead, all he could hear was Lotor’s words echoing again and again and again.

_ “I always get what I want.” _

He could still feel the hand upon his shoulder as sobs wracked his body. The sensation was repulsive, making his skin crawl. Trembling, he leaned onto the door to stand up, heading towards the bathroom. This feeling needed to be gone, it needed to be scratched and scrubbed at until Keith was free of it, free of  _ him.  _ Quickly, he pulled off his shirt, followed by the rest of his clothes as he stepped into the shower. He turned on the water, letting it become scalding hot as he simply stood there.

Keith took a deep breath and waited.

He was stagnant, remaining there until his skin tinted pink and his fingers pruned, still waiting for something,  _ anything. _ A thought, an explanation, an answer. But, nothing came to him. Eventually, when his knees felt as if they would give out beneath him, Keith turned off the water, stepping out and heading to his room to change. The solitary time he’d spent in the shower had helped, letting the tightening in his chest unwind, and leaving behind him and his thoughts.

He debated calling Shiro, which was what he always did in scenarios like this. But, Shiro would just freak out and come over, that was not what Keith needed. Right now, Keith needed to lay in his bed and just stop, let the world spin around him as he tried to make sense of this mess.

_ “Are you proud of yourself?” _

_ No. _

 

* * *

 

Lance McClain

8:10PM

Lance: keith where ya at dude??

Lance: pidge says youre prob on ur bike so dont answer these

Lance: thats dangerous

8:23PM

Lance: you lost or something?

8:46PM

Lance: okay keith seriously where are you? i thought i said 8

9:02PM

Lance: WHERE ARE YOU???????

Lance: seriously im starting to worry

9:36PM

Lance: keith this isnt funny answer your texts

Lance: KEEEEEEEITTHHHHHHHHHH

Lance: oh my god

10:14PM

Lance: if you dont answer im gonna assume youre dead

10:38PM

Lance: keith im bugging out

Lance: where are you

Lance: for real

Lance: just look at your phone!!!!!

11:08PM

Lance: still no answer??

Lance: im really freaking over here man

Lance: im worried now

Lance: do i need to call the cops or something??????

11:30PM

Lance: im heading home now, guessing ur a no show

Lance: please just let me know that youre okay

12:42AM

Lance: this is disrupting my beauty sleep

Lance: pidge says she hasnt heard from you either

Lance: just

Lance: anything to tell me that youre not dead??

Lance: please?

Lance: guess not

Lance: :(

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um, yeah. first of all, im sorry for that. second of all, im so not sorry for that.
> 
> basically this was going to be 6 chapters, w 4-5 being angst and 6 being resolution. but that whoooole plot seemed too rushed so i scrapped it and decided to lengthen this up. that being said, im not too sure where im going with the story? i have a general outline, but i need to work on details
> 
> there wont be another update for a while, since i am busy at a tournament all weekend. ill try to write if i can this week, but dont keep your hopes up too much! sorry to leave you on such a negative note!!!!!
> 
> anyways, as always, comments, criticism, and kudos are appreciated. honestly your comments and feedback have me SO happy and every time i see one im like "oh wow i really gotta write for these kids!!!!!"
> 
> sorry, im rambling
> 
> till next time :* xx


	5. The way he hits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith tries to make amends after missing the party, while he and Shiro drift further apart, Lance shows up at one point.
> 
> As usual, Pidge is the ultimate wingman/asshole friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!! I think I'm gonna stick w/ shorter chapters b/c wow this one took over a week to write!!!! It's not even that long, I was just so busy this weekend that I didn't even have time to open my laptop.  
> But, during my lil break I did have some time to think of more plot, and I do have a solid plan. So, expect updates coming your way soon!
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoy!!! xx

Keith awoke to the familiar feeling of 4:00AM; The eerie quiet, creeping darkness, and as always, the battle with his own restlessness. It’s his own fault for clocking out at 7:00, when he usually stays up late into the night. He sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes that felt as if they’d pop out of their sockets.

_ Fuck. _

The sliver of light from his window illuminated the room enough that he could find his phone, on the floor beside his bed. 

_ Fuck fuck fuck fuck. _

The party, Lance, to think he’d forgotten about them. Keith ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his bed, scrolling through messages. There were a few from Pidge, Hunk, even Shiro, but most were from Lance. If he wasn't so busy thinking about how much he had screwed up, Keith would have felt a little thrill at the fact that Lance cared about him so much.

Then again, Lance probably thought this was a missing persons report.

 

Lance McClain

4:03AM

Keith: Lance I am so sor

 

He erased the message, looking back to the myriad from Lance. How could he even begin to apologize for causing  _ this _ much trouble?

 

Pidge Holt

4:04AM

Keith: I’m fine

 

Pidge would tell Lance, right? Just to get him to stop worrying while Keith tried to think of an excuse.

_ “Sorry I ditched you, my psycho ex showed up and I couldn't muster the energy to leave my fucking bed.” _

That wouldn’t work

 

Shiro Brogane

4:06AM

Keith: Can you do me a favor?

Shiro: At 4:00 in the morning?

Shiro: Where were you last night? Pidge said you weren't answering your phone.

Shiro: Is everything okay?

Keith: Just

Keith: If anyone asks

Keith: Say I was sick last night

Shiro: What’s going on?

Keith: Please, i'll explain later

Shiro: :/

Shiro: Okay, fine

 

Pidge Holt

4:08AM

Pidge: you little shit

Pidge: what the fuck keith where were you????

Keith: Sick

Pidge: hold on a sec my BULLSHIT detector is going off

Pidge: WEEEE OOOOOH WEEEEEE OOOOOOH

Keith: It's not bullshit

Pidge: what was that??? can't hear you over the siren

Pidge: WEEEEE OOOOH WEEE OOOH

Keith: Pidge come on

Pidge: WEEEEEEEEEE OOOOOOOOOHHHH WEEEEEE OOOHHH MOTHERFUCKER

Keith: You can ask Shiro

Pidge: ………..fine

Pidge: i believe you

Pidge: ………………..for now

Pidge: gdamnit you couldn't have just sent a text before???

Pidge: i had to cover for your sorry ass

Pidge: lance had one finger over the 9 button and the other on the 1

Keith: Fuck

Keith: I figured

Pidge: well i'm going back to sleep

Pidge: and idc how sick you are we’re meeting for 11am coffee

Keith: Got it

 

Keith let out a sigh as he put his phone back down on the nightstand. There was a sour taste in his mouth, one that always came up whenever he lied. But, maybe he didn't have to call it lying. After all, telling everyone he was sick was a lot better than having them all worry about…

Lotor, right. There was still that issue.

 

_ Showing results for:  _ _ How to  _ **_erase_ ** _ your identity _

 

Probably not the best plan, considering the fact that he didn't have enough money to move and changing his name would lead to some legal ordeal. So, that wouldn't work. Keith continued to brainstorm ideas, most of them ending in jail time for him or moving away. He was so close,  _ so fucking close _ . He had finally stopped flinching when people touched his hand, Shiro said that he was opening up more. The cuts on his knuckles were healing, and so was he.

So why the fuck did everything have to go so wrong?

Keith turned onto his side, staring out his window to the cloudy, dark sky above. In his head, he was compiling a list of all the shit he’d have to deal with in the morning. Eventually, those thoughts lulled him back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

“So… you were sick?”

Keith looked up at Shiro from his seat on the bench, holding the barbell above him. “Can you not start up a conversation while I’m-” he grunted, lowering the weight to his chest. “-lifting?”

Another day, another workout session. Shiro’s 8:00AM had canceled on him, so he decided to try weight-training Keith instead. The only reason Keith had agreed was because, surprisingly, lifting a weight off his chest literally helped lift the weight off his chest metaphorically.

Or some poetic shit like that.

“Well, you’ve been avoiding the subject all morning,” Shiro replied, spotting Keith as he raised the barbell back onto the rack. “Can you blame me for wanting to know what’s happening?”

“What’s happening is,” Keith began, sitting upright on the bench and turning to his brother. “Last night, I wasn’t feeling well, so I passed out and didn’t get anyone’s texts.”

Shiro’s lips pressed together firmly for a moment before he spoke, crossing his arms. “Keith, you texted me at four in the morning to tell anyone who asked that you were sick. And I’ve been doing just that, but I deserve to know what I’m covering up.”

There was a feeling in Keith’s gut, telling him  _ he’s right. _

“Nothing, jeez, I told you what happened, can you stop fucking nagging me for once?” He regretted the words the moment they parted from his lips. There was a flinch in Shiro’s stone expression, a tightening in his jaw that only someone as close to him as Keith would notice. “Shiro, I just-”

“It’s fine. I get it, I’ll stop with my incessant nagging if it’s that much of a bother,” he said, picking his bag up from the ground and muttering to himself; “Some people call it  _ caring _ but,” Now, to Keith. “I guess it’s just annoying for you.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“It’s not, but I don’t think  _ you _ even know what you meant. Once you understand that, let me know.” Shiro turned, leaving, as Keith didn’t even bother to stop him. Instead, he sat on the bench, watching until the figure was out of sight, and wondering how he could feel so alone in the middle of the crowded gym. Internally, he chastised himself for lashing out at his brother. Even if it was a small outburst, it didn’t help to solve any of his problems. Instead, it left a big, gaping wound in the air, that Keith knew would follow him all day. He got off the bench, heading over to the boxing room. 

_ Fuck gloves _ , Keith thought to himself as he made his way over to an empty bag. That wasn't difficult, since he was almost always alone in the room. He inhaled, then let out a small shout of ire as he punched the bag. Ignoring all form or strategy, he continued, punching and kicking and then punching again. The repetitive, almost mindless motions helped him clear his head.

_ Why can't you just let someone  _ help _ you? _

Hair began to fall from its ponytail, framing his face.

_ Just apologize to Shiro, talk to him. _

Keith could feel his muscles burning, overworked quickly.

_ Tell them what really happened, they’ll understand. _

He didn't stop, firing punches in rapid succession.

_ Or they’ll say what everyone says. “You need to get over it. You need to get over  _ him.”

“Keith!”

He turned his head, arms falling when he saw the source of the voice.

_ You've got to be fucking kidding me. _

Walking into the room, towards him, was Lance. Keith can't help but think how cute he looks with his nose all scrunched up, arms folded, but then he realizes he looks this angry because of  _ him.  _ Oh shit.

“What the fuck, Kogane?!” He yelled, storming over until he was standing just before Keith. Suddenly, he felt as if he should be sitting in a small room with Lance holding a light directly at his face. This was an interrogation. “Where were you?”

“I-I was sick,” he stutters out, trying to remember his excuse.

“Sick? So sick that you couldn't check your phone but not sick enough so that you can come to the gym the next morning?”

“Uh… yes?” Keith responded, his voice an uncertain squeak.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I was freaking out last night, I thought something  _ bad _ had happened to you!  _ Pensé que te gustaba! _ ” Lance began spitting out a rapid fire of Spanish and English, both of which Keith couldn't understand. But, what he did understand was what was coming. He saw Lance’s hand at his side curl into a fist. And then, all he saw was Lance’s fist, flying towards his face.

Keith simply stepped to the side, avoiding the punch. Lance’s anger faltered into a much softer expression- guilt? Both of the boys were quiet, simply staring at each other in attempt to process what had just happened.

Keith’s eyes darted down to Lance’s stance, then back up to his bright eyes, swimming with an emotion he still couldn’t place. “Is that the best you can do?”

Lance tensed up again, face contorting as he took another swing at Keith. Once again, he missed, as Keith simply shifted sideways. “Move quicker, if your opponent keeps dodging directly, try adding a swing to it.”

_ Why are you telling him how to properly punch you? _

Surprisingly, Lance took the advice and continued to punch, missing Keith every time. They fell into a rhythm, bodies circling one another, the taller boy making failed jabs while the other continued to tell him how to improve until-

_ Bam! _

Keith’s head jerked back as a hand reached up to gently touch where he was struck. Lance had hit him, nailing just below his cheek. Tentatively, he moved his jaw, feeling a small  _ pop _ as he did so.

“Oh my god, Keith, I am so sorry,” Lance began slowly, lowering his fist and stepping towards him. “Oh shit, oh shit, fuck, does it hurt?” 

Keith didn't respond, instead, he began to chuckle. 

“Keith, are you okay? Did I shake your brain around?”

Again, no response, but his chuckle turned into an infectious laugh that soon had Lance smiling along with him.

“Why are you laughing? Why am I laughing? What the fuck is going on?” Lance wondered between fits of giggles.

Keith looked back to the other, content just to see that grin. “Your aim is shit.”

“Your dodging is shit.”

“Your comebacks suck.”

“Your teaching sucks.”

Both boys continued to jab at each other as the laughter died away.

“I love you,” Keith said, mouth closed.

“I love you too,” Lance replied, the words sounding more like; “Do you think that’s gonna bruise?”

 

* * *

 

“So did your boyfriend give you that hickey?”

Keith rubbed the small purplish spot that marred his jawbone, wincing slightly as he did. “Kind of.”

“This is more of a yes or no question,” Pidge said, glancing up at Keith as she typed away on her laptop. It was the daily coffee session again, which both decided to double as a working session. While he looked up “ _ what to do with an engineering major _ ” on his phone, Pidge was either coding a robot that would destroy the world, or a program that turned every word on Keith’s laptop to “gay” (as she’d done once before).

“I… got into a fight.”

“Sure you did,” she said, sarcasm evident. With who, the pope?”

“Lance punched me.”

This phrase earned the attention of Pidge who shut her laptop, leaning onto the table to listen.

“He was mad at me for not texting him last night, so he started swinging and… Yeah.”

“Lance has the upper body strength and agility of a wet noodle. How the fuck did he land a punch on  _ you _ ?”

Keith’s cheeks flushed as he glanced down, leaning back. Maybe he shouldn't have told her about this. “I taught him how.”

Laughter erupted from Pidge, a bit over dramatic, but she always was when it was time to make fun of Keith. “You fucking  _ told _ him? Oh my god, can you sign my forehead? I want everyone to know that I got the autograph of the World’s Greatest Flirt!” And then, in her stereotypical Keith voice; “‘Hey Lance, you look sexy. Can you punch me because I am one kinky fucker?’”

Keith glared at her, sticking up his middle finger. “Funny. Jokes on you, though.” He straightened up, putting on a proud smile. “I’ve got a date tomorrow.”

“Bullshit,” Pidge responded quickly, giggles subsiding. Keith threw his hands out in frustration, elbows at his sides.

“No, not bullshit. Lance asked me to go see this dance recital with him.”

Something came across Pidge’s face.“Is it ‘Bravo! Dance Studio’?”She asked, reopening her laptop.

_ “Would you maybe want to go to a dance recital with me? I sort of have to go.” _

“Keith, you ignorant slut. How are you so oblivious?”

“What do you mean?”

“You're going on a date to a kiddie recital.”

_ Bravo! Dance Studio. No wonder it sounded so familiar. That’s where Allura works, and where Lance practices. _

_ You really are an ignorant slut. _

Keith groaned, putting his head in his hands. “Oh my god, our first date is to a kiddie show.”

“You didn’t know that he teaches there too?” And the laughter begins again. “How many times have you been to the studio? Your brother’s girlfriend works there!”

“Which means he’ll probably be there too. I am so fucked, no one takes someone they  _ like _ to a kid’s dance recital.” Keith put his head down on the table, shielding it with his arms.

“Woah, wait just a second,” Pidge said, her voice more serious now. “Just because you’re being dragged along to this show doesn’t mean that Lance doesn’t like you.” Keith poked his head up, eyeing Pidge. “I don’t think you understand how much that means Lance likes you. I mean, he basically asks you on a date and you stand the poor guy up, yet he decides to give you another chance.”

Thinking back, Pidge was actually right. Lance was obviously mad that Keith didn’t show up to the party. Was it because he meant for it to be a date? It had to be, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked him out again. This wasn’t a kid recital, this was an excuse to give Keith another shot.

_ You have another shot _ .

“Well, then, what should I do?” Keith asked, straightening up with more confidence than before.

“Really? You’re gonna ask the single lesbian what to do on your date with your gay crush? Go get dinner, buy him a drink. And  _ avoid your brother _ .”

Suddenly, the familiar rush of adrenaline was rushing through Keith. But this wasn’t from a fight or a ride on his bike. This was the same rush he got earlier when fist met face, or when his eyes first met Lance, dancing alone in that room.

“Okay, okay, cool,” Keith said quickly, gathering his things. “I gotta go.”

“Go where?” Pidge asked, reclining in her chair.

“I dunno, to buy a new shirt or something. Get a haircut, punch a wall! I just gotta go!” With that, he blew out of the cafe, leaving Pidge by herself at the table.

“What a geek…” She muttered to herself, smiling and shaking her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I decided to keep The Date(TM) all in one chapter which is why this one is shorter. And, if you couldn't tell, next one is gonna be Klance-heavy. Like, heavier than this fic is already.
> 
> Once again, thank you for all your kind words on the past chapter! Sorry for the wait!
> 
> PS if you can find any SNL or song lyric references in here, +10 brownie points
> 
> Comments, criticism, and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Much love
> 
> -Viv xx


	6. The Date (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys head off on their first official not-a-date-but-totally-a-date. Prepare for more awkwardness than a middle-school dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie kids, here's another chapter for you!  
> Decided to split the date into two chapters so neither were super long and I could get it out to you quicker.  
> Anyways, enjoy! xx

_ “Okay, here’s the address of the place. It should start at 5:30 so get there a little early.” _

Keith looked at his reflection, leaning close to the mirror. His dark hair wasn’t looking as it’s usual mess, now styled somewhat so that he didn’t have to brush it away so much. He had also gotten a haircut, nothing drastic. However, the tuffs in the back were now short enough so they only brushed the collar of his shirt. That’s right, he put on a nice shirt, and not just because Lance had told him to (in the nicest way he could put it, of course). It was a deep burgundy-red,  _ is it too intense _ ? Keith leaned back, pulling it down a bit so it fit better over his black skinny jeans. No matter how nice the occasion, he would never ditch those, but he did opt for a pair that wasn’t ripped.

_ “Maybe don’t show up on your motorcycle, I’ll pick you up?” _

_ “No, I can get a ride.” _

He glanced at his watch, (yes, he also had a watch on!) Allura should be coming by shortly. Mentally, he had already prepared some small talk for the ride, which was no doubt going to be awkward. Even though she had been dating his brother for some time, Keith had never really been alone with her before. But, he figured that this could be good for them, Shiro was always complaining about how Keith “wasn’t making an effort” to “be closer” with Allura.

_ “And, thank you so much for coming. Seriously, man, I appreciate it.” _

Keith’s heart did a little somersault when he remembered how happy Lance was when the plan was made. So what if it was to his work affair? Pidge had told him that afterword, it would be early enough to go get dinner, and maybe drinks, and maybe…

Keith shook his head,  _ don’t get ahead of yourself, Kogane. Deal with the show first, and the rest will come naturally. _ At least, that’s what Pidge had told him.

 

Pidge Holt

5:02PM

Pidge: did you bring protection

Pidge: how much cologne did you put on

Pidge: AXE AND DEODORANT MIXED DONT COUNT

Keith: Pidge you’re like 7 you shouldn’t even know what protection is

Pidge: 7 INCHES DEEP INTO YOUR BITCH

Pidge: OOOHHHHHHHH

Keith: What?

Keith: We’re both gay

Keith: How would that even work?

Pidge: you’re so annoying

Pidge: let me make a joke

Pidge: well i’ll leave you to go queer it up

Pidge: dont fuck it up

Keith: I’ll try

  
  


Allura Altea

5:05PM

Allura: I am outside :)

 

Keith took one last look at himself in the mirror, pursing his lips and then giving his reflection a smile. “No, that’s too bold,” he muttered, trying a softer look. “Hey, Lance- No, that’s dumb. Should I wave?” He waved, trying to find a medium between overly-eager and laid-back. “Definitely not.” Keith groaned, almost running a hand through his hair, but deciding against it, as that would definitely mess it up. “Yo, Lancey Lance,” he said, voice low as he pointed finger-guns towards his reflection. He was about to attempt another greeting when his phone buzzed to life.

 

Allura Altea

5:07PM

Allura: Are you ready yet? :?

 

Why did she need to put a face after every text? Keith grabbed his phone off the sink, heading out of his apartment. In his head, he thinks over everything he needed to do before leaving. Did he feed Red? Keith glances towards the cat, currently strutting along his couch, then down at her bowl of food- still full. He was ready.

_ Oh, wow. _ He’s about to go on a date with Lance. The thought hits him as he heads out the door and follows Keith all the way to Allura’s car, leaving him with some dopey grin.

“Hello, Keith!” Allura chirps as he gets into the passenger’s seat, throwing him her signature smile (Would it be weird to ask how she smiles like that? In the way that just radiates happiness?). Her silvery-white hair is pulled into a neat bun, some complex braid holding it up while a few tresses falling out around her face. As he glances down towards her outfit, Keith feels some confidence in his own, he was worried that maybe he was underdressed. Then again, this is a children’s dance recital.

_ Not exactly the most romantic of venues… _

“Hey, Allura,” he responds, returning the smile as he buckles in. In his head, the mental list he made of conversational topics for the ride is being sorted through as Allura begins driving. “So, how long have you been working at the studio?”

_ Good, keep it to a light banter. _

“About a year now, this is my first recital,” she replied.

“Oh, that’s cool. How many classes do you teach?” Keith asked absentmindedly, keeping his focus down at his hands folded in his lap. He spent a while contemplating wearing his gloves or not, since he didn’t have much of an excuse to wear them other than the fact that they covered up his knuckles.  _ Maybe you should just wear real gloves, not fingerless bike gloves when you decide to punch a bag.  _ He cracks them, shifting each finger until he hears the familiar  _ pop. _

“-love the Thursday class, though, they’re the youngest and they’re so sweet!” Allura finished, and Keith hadn’t even noticed she started talking. He refocused his attention back to her, nodding as if he was listening.

“Yeah, cool.”

Allura paused, some hesitation showing on her face before she spoke again. “Keith, I know you told me that it was because you didn’t have plans, but why are you  _ really _ coming tonight? Maybe I completely misjudged you, but I didn’t take you for someone who enjoys children’s recitals in his spare time.”

Keith gulped. Maybe if he told her not to, Allura wouldn’t go telling Shiro about tonight. She seemed pretty trustworthy, right? The look of curiosity across her face seemed innocent enough. But, she was playing for the enemy team, being Shiro’s girlfriend. If she told him, it would be disastrous for Keith. Just thinking of what Shiro could say made Keith dizzy. But, he couldn’t come up with a lie to cover himself up, so he’d have to put his faith in Allura. “I, uh, have a date.” He said quickly.

“With Lance?” Allura asked, glancing over to him, then back to the road.

Keith quirked a brow, sitting upright. “Yeah, actually. How did you know that?”

“Well, he is my coworker, and one of my friends. We usually have lunch before our classes begin, and he’s always practicing in the studio.”

Of course, Allura and Lance are friends, it just made sense. Allura was sweet, probably the anchor to Lance’s bold ideas. Keith could imagine them at one of these lunches now, sitting with each other and probably discussing fashion, or dance, or whatever normal people talked about.

Why did he feel a pang of envy?

“He talks about you. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t do it often. But, don’t tell him I told you that, I don’t think you were supposed to know.”

_ He talks about me? _

“Fine, but only if you don’t tell Shiro I’m on a date tonight.”

Allura looked over to him again, smiling again. “Okay.”

“So,” Keith began. “What does he say about me?”

 

* * *

 

The only thing Keith could find himself thinking as he looked into the theater was  _ damn, that’s a lot of college tuitions to pay. _

It was a decently sized area that the studio was just renting out, probably sitting two hundred, but Keith was never good at guessing. The auditorium seemed so much smaller, however, due to the swarms of kids running around, followed by harried parents, and some older folks taking their seats.

He breathed in the smell of hairspray and mint gum, not his favorite combination. Allura had fled to backstage as soon as they entered, wishing him luck as a group of children ran up to her in the same fashion he’d once seen them climb onto Shiro.  _ Right, Shiro _ . Keith made sure to be on alert, constantly scanning the crowd (which wasn’t difficult, Shiro would tower above them).

His body found Lance before his eyes did, the two bumping against each other inside the crowd. Keith had been trying to back away from a child throwing a tantrum over not having enough glitter, while Lance was parting from a pair of parents.

“Keith!” The taller boy exclaimed, turning to look at the other. Keith’s heart beat a little faster at the way Lance’s face lit up with the brightest grin. He tries to keep eye contact, but he can’t help but let his gaze glance down at how the Cuban boy looked. He was wearing a collared shirt, like Keith, but his powder blue top fit him in a way that should be illegal, just right. “You actually came, I was starting to think you wouldn’t!”

Stepping back, Keith smoothed his shirt out, returning the smile. “Yeah, well,” he said, gesturing to himself. “I’m here.”

_ Do you sound too awkward? You sound too awkward, oh shit. _

“I’m really glad you are,” his blue eyes darted to the side, spotting a set of parents approaching. “Just give me a second.” he turned, speaking with the parents as Keith simply watched. In the process, noticing how Lance’s hips swayed slightly as he spoke, weight shifting from one leg to the other. Keith flushed, looking away.

Across the small theater, he met eyes with Allura, who was escorting a few kids in leotards backstage. She threw Keith a little wink and a thumbs up that actually did something to ease his nerves a bit. He felt a hand on his arm, pulling him back to Lance.

“Let’s go sit down, okay?” He asked, nodding his head towards the seats.

“Okay.”

 

Soon, they were a half hour into the recital, sitting beside each other, dead smack in the middle. So far, it was mostly just little kids waving to their parents as they spun around, and Keith had partially zoned out.

That is, until he felt a hand come upon his own.

He had nearly flinched, but managed to keep still as he looked over to Lance, who’s eyes were trained on the performance before them. But, his hand was beginning to lace itself in Keith’s, a gesture so simple that caused the boy’s entire body to ignite.

And then they were just sitting there, hand in hand, watching the show.

This wasn’t an accident, not like how their knees were brushed against one another’s for the whole show. No, Lance was  _ actually _ and _ willingly _ holding his hand!

Keith felt like he could melt right there.

A little while later, he felt Lance squeeze his grip as he leaned closer, whispering; “This is one of my classes.”

Both of them look to the stage now at a group of kids entering. They don’t look as young as everyone else, maybe in their early teens. However, what really sets them apart is the music playing as they enter. Instead of the cutesy piano songs that was background to the younger children, theirs was some techno beat, definitely more modern. Their routine was hip-hop style, with lots of cartwheels and tricks.

_ Yeah, this is Lance’s class. _

The recital was in an order, moving up in age groups with one big studio-wide number at the end. It covered a variety of styles, from a simple ballet set to a dance that drowned out the music with the incessant  _ clack _ - _ clack _ of the dancer’s footwear.  _ “It’s tap,” _ Lance had explained.

Surprisingly, Keith was enjoying it. Once they had moved on from the youngest groups, the older kids were actually very talented, and looked like they took this seriously.

 

Once the recital had ended, the boys both got up from their seats, releasing each other’s hands (to Keith’s dismay).

“That was…” Keith began, unsure of what to call the recital.

“Not what you expected?” Lance finished for him, cocking his head. “I knew Pidge would probably tell you that it was just toddlers in tutus, strutting around. She just said that because she hates kids.”

Keith nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. “Ironic, because she looks twelve. But, that was really good.” He glances down as the two walk towards the exit, then slides the hand closest to Lance out of his pocket. “You know, you’re a great teacher.”

“You think so? You had one lesson, how are you so sure?” Lance asked.

Keith paused for a moment, running his teeth over his bottom lip before speaking. “It’s obvious, the way you look at your students. I can just tell.” Regret shut his mouth for him as Keith shook his head. “That sounds dumb, sorry.”

Lance put a hand on his arm, turning Keith to him. “Don’t be sorry, that was really sweet.”

The shorter boy eased, his body relaxing into Lance’s touch. “So, uh, do you wanna go-“

“Keith?”

_ Fuck. Did Allura tell him? You knew she was on his side, enemy team! _

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” said Shiro, approaching the two boys. He stands taller than both of them, looking very out of place amongst the crowd of tired adults and whining kids that littered the theater. Keith folds his arms now, waiting for his brother to piece together what was going on. Lance was standing there, looking between the two, waiting for an explanation as he pulled his arm back from Keith.

“My brother,” Keith said simply, jerking his head in Shiro’s direction.

Shiro smiled, sticking out a hand towards Lance. “Takashi Shirogane. Shiro, for short,” he says, his usual introduction paired with that winning Shirogane Smile.

“Oh! You’re Shiro, I know about you!” Lance exclaims, as Keith admires the cute little “O” his mouth makes as he speaks. “I work with Allura!”

And there it was, the little  _ click _ in Shiro’s head. It’s easy to read on his face, as he exchanges a knowing glance with Keith. “Oh, okay, I see what’s happening.”

Hopefully, Keith’s  _ say one more word and I’ll cut your dick off _ expression was sufficient.

“You’re Lance, yeah. You teach the teens with hip-hop. Excellent work, I really enjoyed the show,” Shiro said, glancing towards Keith, who was still death-staring him. Lance was beaming, glad that someone appreciated the show. “I’m gonna go find Allura. You kids have fun,” Shiro says, putting a hand on each boys’ shoulder, then leaving.

There’s a moment of quiet as he heads off,  _ why does he need to be the awkward dad of every situation _ ?

“What was that all about?” Lance asks quietly, more to himself.

“Nothing, he’s weird,” Keith responds quickly, trying to dismiss it. “Um, so, do you wanna go- go to,” he fumbles over his words, simultaneously trying to look Lance in the eyes.

“Dinner?” The other finishes, with a look that causes Keith’s stomach to flip. “I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'll be honest with y'all. I have no idea what to do w/ this fic. I had a plan that sucked, so I ditched it and honestly I can't come to a logical conclusion for the story b/c I've kinda set myself up for failure. I like to have a pre-determined outline, and my writing is soooo much better when I do. Honestly, I cringe a little at this fic.
> 
> Idk, I want to continue and finish this, but I don't know how. I have another fic totally planned and outlined, and I'm really excited to write it (it's still Klance, dw) so I may go onto that for a while? I don't want to have a lot of unfinished projects, I just think that no matter what I do, this fic is just not going to end well.
> 
> Sorry for the babbling, I just don't know what to do. Also, I'm not really motivated to write this fic bc I just don't know what to do w it??? So, y'all may see another fic emerge on my page soon, and this will prob be put on hold for a while.
> 
> As always, comments criticism and kudos are all appreciated. And if anyone has a suggestion or idea of what they'd like to see in this fic, don't hesitate to let me know!
> 
> Much love, -Viv xx


	7. The Date (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Keith achieves new levels of gay, and Pidge is the snarky fucker we know and love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!!!!  
> its viv coming at you w another chapter, woah!  
> i know i said that this was going on break for a while, but i really put a lot of effort into planning and brainstorming, so i think that we'll get back into frequent updates now that i know the full story.  
> anyways, enjoy!!

“Wait, you have  _ how many _ siblings?”

“Six, three brothers, three sisters.”

“That- that’s fucking insane!” Keith exclaimed, throwing his hands up. Across the table, Lance laughed, shrugging. The evening was going great, and was completely filled with the boys’ chatter and laughter. There was a bit more hand holding, some more flirting, and a lot more of Keith being  _ amazed _ by the fact that he completely missed the beautiful Cuban boy who was just working above his head for years.“So, are you  _ ever _ alone? Ever?!”

“Not really,” Lance said, trying to get his laughter to subside. “I don’t see why this is such a big deal.”

“How can you not see why that’s such a big deal? It’s crazy-”

“Excuse me,” The waitress said, a mousy girl who was clearly too nervous to cut the boys off mid-conversation. Keith eased back, regaining his composure. “Are you two done with these?” She asked, gesturing to the mostly empty appetizer plates before them. Both nodded, the waitress took the plates and left.

Lance was stifling a laugh, mostly showing in the rise and fall of his shoulders. “Dude, could you be any louder?”

Keith flushed red. “I can’t help it, you have six siblings!” He was well aware of the fact that he was grinning, and completely unable to stop. The blame could be put on the half-empty glasses of beer on the table, or the fact that Lance simply brought out a different side of him. And this side was loud, expressive, and gayer than he thought possible.

“I love your smile,” Lance said, his voice soft. Now it was his turn to blush, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, that came out of nowhere, I just-” He stops himself before he begins to ramble, taking a breath. “I don’t see it often. At least, not this big, wide, grin.”

“Yeah?” Is all Keith can find himself to say. He already came to terms with the fact that someone is interested in him, romantically. However, he still didn’t understand how it was someone as amazing as Lance. The boy left him speechless sometimes. “Okay, so, tell me about these siblings.”

“Nah, you don’t wanna hear about them. They’re all lame,” Lance said, shaking his head.

“Really? All six of them are lame?”

“Well, not really. They’re all pretty awesome. But telling you about every one of them? I’d need a PowerPoint presentation ready.” Lance leaned forward on the table, taking a sip of his drink. “What about you? You have… how many siblings?”

“Uh, it depends on what you count as a sibling,” Keith said, smile fading. “Shiro’s not  _ really _ my brother.”

Lance raised his brows, incredulous. “He’s not? Then why does everyone say he is?”

“I’ve lived with him since I was nine. I guess he’s my god-sibling? His parents are my godparents.”

“Like fairy godparents?” Lance asked, eyes widening.

Keith scoffed, shaking his head. “No, just regular godparents.”

_ Change the topic before he keeps asking about your family. _

“Oh, okay,” Lance says, going quiet. Keith can tell that he wants to ask more by the way he continuously opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again. He knows not to ask about the Tragic Backstory™.

There’s a dip in the conversation, where both boys are quiet, trying to think of something to say. 

“So, do you-” Lance starts

“What about-” Keith begins, at the same time. “Sorry,” he apologizes, nodding towards Lance. “You first.”

“Well, I was gonna ask if you like movies,” Lance says as Keith looks at how his collarbones poke out just slightly from the unbuttoned collar of his shirt. _ Damn. _

“Uh, I guess so. How can someone  _ not  _ like movies?”

“Okay, then, what kind of movies?” There’s a glint in his eyes as he leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. Keith has noticed he does that a lot, lean in or step closer, just to be near someone.

“Um…”  _ What kind of movies are gonna make you sound cool right now?  _ “I don’t know, horror?”

Lance purses his lips towards the side, folding his arms. “Really?”

Keith furrows his brows. “Yeah, really. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“You don’t seem like a horror movie kind of guy. I can just see you yelling at the screen, ‘why would you go to the basement? There’s a murderer!’” He lowers his voice, trying to make it sound raspy as he scowls.

“Why does everyone think I sound like that? I don’t sound like that!” Keith says, sounding exactly like that. “And, for your information, I don’t do that either. Only in stupid horror movies.”

“So, you mean, all of them?” Lance asks, cocking his head.

“No, I mean in the stupid ones. You think  _ all  _ scary movies are dumb?” Lance nods. “How?!”

“They’re all so predictable. And usually poorly made, that’s why I thought you’d hate them. Maybe you just have bad taste…”

Keith said that he was trying not to get so heated and loud again, but fuck that. “I don’t have bad taste! There are some great horror movies! The new ones aren’t amazing, except for the Babadook. I mean, he’s a  _ gay icon _ in an awesome film about-” He stops, noticing that Lance is laughing so hard, it seems like he might fall out of his chair. “You just wanted me to get mad again, didn’t you?” 

Another nod from Lance. “Sorry, it’s just really funny.” 

Keith laughs along with him. “You’re impossible.”

 

The rest of the night flew by. They talked over dinner and drinks. Keith learned that Lance grew up in California, he loved the ocean more than anything, and was very upset to learn that Keith hadn’t been to the beach since he was a kid. He then vowed to take him one day, when it wasn’t so cold outside. 

They were outside the restaurant, still chatting, when Keith got the text message.

 

You have  three unread messages;

Do Not Answer

(9:42PM) Why aren’t you answering your phone?

(9:42PM) I need to talk to you

(9:43PM) Now

 

Keith gripped his phone tightly, his face turning a ghastly shade as he reread the texts.

“-And Hunk was the  _ worst _ at it,” Lance continued, even though Keith had blocked him out now. “Hey, are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost or something.”

“What?” Keith asked, looking back up. “I’m fine, yeah. I just,”  _ Don’t tell him your psycho ex is trying to talk to you, not on the first date.  _ “I gotta go.”

Lance frowned, knitting his brows together. “Really? It’s only like, ten, why are you rushing out?”

Keith opened his mouth, searching for some excuse. “Uh, something came up. I forgot to feed my cat, and he’s grumpy a lot.”

Lance is quiet for a moment, the look of disappointment in his eyes felt like a dagger in Keith’s chest. His scepticism shows on his face, but he simply nods. “Yeah, okay, do what you gotta do, man.”

“I’m sorry, and I had a great time tonight. Really.”

And then he kisses him.

It’s a fleeting moment, a little goodbye kiss, but it feels like ages. It feels like the entire world halts around them, just to let Keith take in how  _ soft _ Lance’s lips were and how his eyes were even more beautiful up close.

Keith pulls away, giving Lance a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” is the last thing he says before running off.

“Bye!” Lance shouts behind him.

As he heads away, the smile remains because he  _ just fucking kissed Lance _ ! He didn’t mess up or overthink it, he just kissed him! However, as the distance between the boys grows, the unease settles in, bringing him back to read his texts one more time.

_ If Lotor shows up at your apartment again… _

Keith shakes his head, trying to avoid thinking of the possibility. Instead, he quickens his pace to a near-sprint, keeping it for the remainder of the way to his apartment. He fumbles with his keys, then with the button on the elevator, eventually reaching his floor.

There was no one there, which was temporarily relieving. Keith bent over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Lotor wasn’t here, and he hadn’t sent another message, which had to be good, right? But that meant...

_ Nice job, asshole, you ditched Lance for nothing _ .

Keith groaned, heading inside of his apartment. There was Red, perched on her favorite spot, the windowsill, and very much fed. He captures a picture of her, snapchatting it to Lance.  _ ‘She’s all fed’ _ he captions it, hoping that the photo could validate his shitty excuse. What kind of idiot leaves an incredible date with the most  _ fucking gorgeous _ person in the world to feed their cat? An idiot in black skinny jeans and a mullet.

Keith’s phone buzzed, bringing his attention to it.

 

Pidge Holt

10:42PM

 

Pidge: hey nerd do me a fucking favor

Pidge: TELL YOUR BROTHER ABOUT YOUR SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!

Pidge: hes been texting me all night and i dont know what you want me to say to him!!!!!

Pidge: look at this

Pidge:  Screenshot-at-10:43.jpeg

 

Attached was a string of texts from Shiro to Pidge, most of them asking the state of Keith’s love life, and if he was being safe. It was nice, but a little creepy. Sitting down on his couch, Keith replied to the messages.

 

Shiro “Not ur dad” Shirogane

10:45PM

 

Keith: Stop harassing Pidge

Shiro: She said she wouldn’t tell you I asked.

Shiro: I just want to know what’s been going on with you, is that such a crime?

Keith: You sound like SUCH a dad right now

Shiro: :|\

Keith: I was on a date stop bothering me bye

Shiro: :|O !!!!!!

Keith: BYE

 

Pidge Holt

10:48PM

 

Keith: Its handled

Keith: You didnt say anything right?

Pidge: ofc not

Pidge: do i look stupid to you????

Keith: Also Ikissedlance

Pidge: ASDFGHGSDFGHGFDSDF

Pidge: YOU SLUT!!!!!!!!!!

Keith: And then I ran away but the first parts more important

Pidge: you ran away???

Pidge: does that mean youre home??

Keith: Yeah

Pidge: ill be there in 10

Pidge: what kind of ice cream do u want

 

Ten minutes later, Pidge was knocking at his door. Well, she was really just slamming on it and yelling; “I brought you ice cream, let me in!” Keith got up from his couch cocoon (or, his blanket burrito, according to Shiro) and opened the door, then promptly had a pint of ice cream shoved against his chest as Pidge walked past him.

“Good to see you, too,” Keith mumbled, heading into the kitchen. 

“I literally saw you this morning, we can skip the casualties. Where’s my best friend?” Pidge asked, looking around. Her face lit up when she spotted Red, still relaxing on her windowsill. “There she is!” Red, forever unbothered, looked over at the source of the shouting, and jumped over onto the couch. Pidge joined her, letting the cat rest in her lap as she ran her hands over Red’s soft fur. “That’s the best kitty in the entire world, good girl.”

“Shiro’s probably gonna bother you about telling me y’all texted,” Keith said, re-entering the living room with the ice cream and two spoons.

“First of all,” she giggled. “ _ Y’all _ . Second of all, I don’t care. Tell me about your date!”

Keith sat down, handing Pidge the cookie dough ice cream while he got to work on his own (double fudge, of course). “There’s nothing to tell, we had a nice date.”

“You told me you kissed him!” Pidge shouted, pointing her spoon at Keith. “That’s not nothing! That’s scandalous!”

“It is not scandalous, it was a quick goodbye kiss,”  _ that he would ride the emotional high of for the next week.  _

“You basically had sex. And to Lance-“ she stopped herself, sneezing, and then continuing. “You’re gonna be his boyfriend in a week.”

Keith quirked a brow. ”A week? That’s pretty specific. Also, you probably shouldn’t be near Red if your allergies are acting up.” Pidge loved Red, but she also had a mild allergy to cats. It wasn’t that bad, but she couldn’t be too close with the cat for a while.

“I’m fine, don’t be a Shiro and start getting all worried. And that’s Lance’s system. He believes that after the first kiss, in one week you’ll be ‘official’.”

“‘Official?’ Seriously? How many people has he gone out with to develop such a specific system?” Keith asked, pulling Red away from Pidge.

“Not as much as you think, he just watches romantic comedies a lot.”

Keith scoffed, raising a brow. “Seriously? He told me all horror movies are stupid, but he prefers romcoms?”

“Lance doesn’t think horror movies are stupid, he thinks they’re too scary.” Pidge smiled, cocking her head. “He told you they’re stupid? He is such a wimp!”

“Lance is scared of horror movies?” Keith asks, a smirk tugging on his lips. “I think I have an idea for our next date.”

“You’re evil, but also a genius,” Pidge said.

Keith tipped his head down, nodding. “Thank you, I do try.”

 

Two pints of ice cream and a good gossip session later, Pidge headed out, leaving Keith alone with a brain freeze and the image of Lance still in his head.

 

_ New snapchat from: Lanceylance2 _

 

Sitting on his bed, Keith opened up the photo, which was Lance grinning in the cat filter.  _ Fuck, _ he’s so cute. The caption was; “UR CAT IS ADORABLE OMG!!!!”

Keith looked over to Red, sitting on the foot of his bed. “Sorry, Red, I gotta exploit you for the greater good.” He snapped a photo of her, sending it to Lance.

Instantly, another photo came in, basically the same one with another “OMG” caption.

Smiling, Keith sent one more photo, captioning his; “She says goodnight”.

Lance sent a message back, one more picture of him saying; “goodnight!!!!! Sweet dreams keith :*”

And sweet dreams he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank yall sm for reading! as always, comments kudos and criticism are appreciated. thank you SO MUCH for 100+ kudos! wow! i never thought anyone would even click on this fic and the feedback ive been getting is great!!!  
> speaking of feedback, thank you all for understanding when i said i'd be putting this on hold, but im back now. updates will hopefully be weekly, but school is kicking my ASS so i dont have as much time to write.
> 
> -viv xx


	8. The way he makes me feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge claimed Keith would be Lance's boyfriend in a week, is it true?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!! its viv here with a... weird chapter.  
> i decided to compress the whole week into one chapter because the original scenes by themselves were kinda slow, and i really enjoyed writing it this way instead!  
> hope yall enjoy it too, thanks!

Day One

 

Not having to hide your crush on someone is amazing. You could skip the awkward glances at each other, worrying about being “too close,” everything was better when the feeling was mutual. And, Keith learned that the best part about this was _Lance._

“Hey, man, you good?”

Keith snapped back to reality, looking over to the other boy in the room. “Yeah, yeah, fine. Just thinking.”

Lance cocked his head to the side, taking a step closer. “Did you hear anything I said?”                                                                                  

“Uh,” Keith stammered, trying to remember. After the rushed ending of their date last night, Keith had called Lance to see if he wanted to do an early-morning dance lesson. It was going great, except for the fact that Lance was there, being amazing and beautiful and just _existing_. “No.”

There was that smile, a bit too wide and slightly crooked, but still perfect. “Keith, you’re the one who asked for an emergency dance lesson. So if you’re not gonna listen-”

“No, no, no!” Keith cut him off, waving his hands. “I’m listening, I swear. Keep going.”

Lance rolled his eyes, stepping back from Keith once more. “What I was _trying_ to say is what do you wanna dance to?” Keith shrugged, which Lance didn’t seem too happy about. “You have no preference? At all?”

“Nope,” Keith said. _As long as you’re dancing to it, I don’t care._

“So, if I put on something like…” Lance trailed off, scrolling through his phone until he found whatever song he was looking for. Some weird song started playing, and it kinda sounded like something Keith expected a snake charmer to play. “This, that’s fine with you?”

Once again, Keith shrugged. “I guess, what is this?” He instantly regretted asking that.

Lance gasped (too) loudly, placing a hand on his chest. “What? You’re fucking with me, right? Keith, buddy, come on, you gotta know this song.”

“Um… Is it by Beyoncé?” Keith asked, only guessing this because whoever was singing it was just repeating the name Beyoncé. This did nothing to mollify Lance.

“And Shakira! How do you not know Shakira? They’re literally repeating Beyoncé, Beyoncé, Shakira, Shakira. It’s called beautiful liar, by Beyoncé and Shakira! Keith, you’re killing me here.”

Keith hid a small smirk, saying; “Sorry, I’m just not a big Shakira fan.”

“Shakira is one of the _greatest_ artists of our generation!” Lance exclaimed, beginning to sway a little to the beat. “She made this collaboration with Beyoncé and it literally _saved my life_ . Okay, maybe not literally, but I owe everything to Shakira!” He stepped towards Keith, voice quieting down as his eyes widened. “Everything, Keith, _todo_.”

Keith laughed, shrugging Lance off. “You’re being a drama queen.”

Another dramatic gasp. “I am not! Keith, we’re canceling your dance lesson, this is now a Shakira lesson!”

 

By the time the “lesson” had finished, Keith had learned three new spanish phrases, the history of Shakira and all of her film cameos, and that Lance’s hips possessed magical qualities.

 

* * *

 

Day Two

UNREAD MESSAGES:

_Pidge_

(7:48AM) hey nerd

(7:48AM) i brought you coffee hide your anime body pillow and open the front door

 

Turns out that Keith didn’t have much say in his friendship with Pidge. She had shown up at his house, and once again told him that they were going on a hike. However, this time, Keith didn’t need to be bribed to join her, because crammed into her jeep were Hunk and Lance. And now, he was sitting beside Lance in the back while Hunk and Pidge chatted in the front.

“So, you like frappuccinos?” Lance asked, eyeing the drink in Keith’s hand.

“Shut up,” Keith mumbled, sipping his coffee. “At least I don’t get some double extra large pumpkin spice latte.”

“Hey, first of all, it’s a triple, venti, half-sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato. Get your facts straight. And second of all, there’s nothing wrong with liking sweet drinks, I’m just trying to make conversation.”

“Keith has me order his frappe and he orders my coffee!” Pidge shouted, chiming in from the front seat.

“Not true!” Keith shouted back, sitting up.

“He refuses to be seen inside a Starbucks!”

“No I don’t!”

“Keith’s a slut for cake pops!”

“Pidge!” Keith yelled, kicking the back of her seat. She didn’t mind, simply laughing him off.

Hunk spoke next, turning over from the passenger’s seat to face Keith. “So… You’ve got a sweet tooth?”

Keith groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

The hike failed again. They did get further this time, but Lance got too cold and started whining, Hunk got tired, Pidge got hungry, and Keith was annoyed with everyone’s complaining. But, he did get to hold Lance’s hand for most of the time, so the day wasn’t a total waste.

Also, they kissed again, claiming they were gonna check out a side trail, but really just wanted the privacy.

Actually, it was a good day.

 

* * *

 

Day Three

 

“Okay, we have The Conjuring, all chapters of Insidious, half the Paranormal Activity franchise, I don’t know which half, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit… for some reason,” Keith said, looking through the DVDs in his hand.

“It was buy one get one free at Walmart, I needed to pick another DVD. Plus, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a good movie,” Lance remarked, walking in from the kitchen. “Where’s your cat?”

Keith glanced around his apartment, spotting Red on her usual perch; the windowsill. “Is that the real reason you wanted to make… what did you call tonight, again?”

“Keith and Lance’s Super Scary Super Gay Mini Film Festival Extravaganza with a guest appearance by Red the Poorly Named Cat.”

“Right, is Red why it needed to be at _my_ apartment?”

Lance put a large bowl of popcorn and assorted snacks on the couch, walking over to Red. “I mean, unless you wanted Hunk to crash the festival extravaganza, we could’ve done it at my place. Plus, can’t have the guest appearance by Red without Red.”

This earned an eye roll from Keith. “Just pick a movie, you geek.”

 

An hour into the third installation of Paranormal Activity, Lance was curled against his side, Red was curled against Lance, and Keith was curling his knees up a bit, trying to hide his phone next to him.

 

Do Not Answer

11:27PM

 

Do Not: What are you doing?

Keith: Fuck off

Do Not: Harsh, I just want to know what’s up with you

Keith: I don’t give a shit

Keith: Leave me alone

Do Not: If you really wanted me to leave you alone, why haven’t you blocked my number yet?

 

Keith gulped, glancing over at Lance, intently focused on the movie. One hand was idly stroking Red while the other clung tightly onto Keith’s arm, squeezing a bit every time it got scary. He had screamed a few times, and knocked over the popcorn bowl twice, and accidentally hit Keith once, and was exactly as Pidge said he was during scary movies; Which was adorable, and was a reason why Keith felt so guilty texting Lotor when he was _right there_.

 

Do Not: No response? Thought so.

Do Not: When you want to come to your senses and stop ignoring me, you know where I am

 

“Are you on your phone?” Keith looked down at Lance, resting his head on his shoulder.

“I’m just making sure the dog doesn’t die in this movie,” he responded simply. “I forgot.”

“Mkay,” Lance said, snuggling against his side more.

“Oh, this part’s good,” Keith mused, leaning further back onto the couch to brace himself.

Lance jumped up just as whatever demon on the screen showed up, letting out a loud shriek. “ _Hijo de puta_ ! _Hay un jodido demonio_!” He shouted, hitting against Keith’s shoulder.

“Yep, totally know what that means,” Keith muttered, smiling at Lance’s reaction.

“Did you see that? There was the demon, right there! Right fucking there!”

“Yeah, I saw it,” Keith said, shutting his phone off.

 

* * *

 

Day Four

 

Shiro Brogane

7:08AM

Shiro: Are you coming today?

 

Keith turned to Allura, sitting in the driver’s seat. “Shiro’s texting me, what do I do?”

“Tell him you don’t want to go today, easy,” Allura responded, scanning the parking lot for an open spot.

 

Keith: Dont kill me

Keith: Im not

Shiro: I’m not going to kill you, Keith.

Shiro: You can make your own decisions.

Keith: Youre not mad?

Shiro: No, but I would like to know what you’re doing instead.

Shiro: Are you with your boyfriend?

Shiro: Is that Lance guy your boyfriend?

Shiro: Is that why you missed Broganes movie night last night?

 

“How do I tell him that I ditched him to hang out with Lance instead?” Keith asked, face contorted in panic as he looked to Allura.

Allura, however, was calm in her reply; “Tell him the truth. I don’t understand why you need to make sure every message you send is perfectly written to hide your true feelings. He’s your brother, he’ll understand.”

Those words struck a chord in Keith, _he’s your brother, he’ll understand._

 

Keith: Yeah Im really sorry

Keith: I dont want to ditch you Im just trying to

Keith: Idk “get out there” and shit

Shiro: That’s great! You’re getting out of your comfort zone, it’s fine that you don’t want to spend every waking minute with me!

Keith: Thanks Shiro

Keith: And I really need to talk to you later about stuff

Shiro: Everything okay?

Keith: Uh

Keith: Its complicated

Keith: Ill see you later

 

“Now, are you ready?” Allura asked, parking the car and stepping out.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Keith responded, giving her an uneasy smile.

 

Over the course of the next two hours, Keith realized three things; He should always listen to Allura, he’s really gay, and that yoga is not as bad as he thought. After a long texting session earlier that morning, Allura had convinced him to skip training with Shiro and instead join her at her yoga studio. Apparently Lance went home last night and FaceTimed her for a while and described every detail of the date, including how he thought Keith seemed uneasy and was checking his phone a lot. Allura took this information and decided that Keith could use some de-stressing, and miraculously managed to take him to yoga.

There was only one other guy there, and a lot of moms who just assumed that Keith, clad in a tight tank top, would be interested in them. Yeah, there was a lot of uncomfortable flirting, but that ended once the class started. Words couldn’t exactly tell how Keith felt about the class. He came in expecting to do some stretching for a while, then take a nap during mediation. However, the positions ended up much more complicated than he assumed, and Keith felt the same after the class than after a workout session; Except for the fact that he was really… calm. It was a nice feeling, and he managed to get Lotor off his mind for a while.

That is, until later, when he met up with Shiro. Keeping Allura’s words in his mind, _he’s your brother, he’ll understand,_ Keith explained everything that had been happening, the texts, when he showed up, how he couldn’t stop checking his phone. It was tough, but he felt much better afterword.

He only talked to Lance twice on day four, and the two just snapchatted mostly. But, it was still a good day in Keith’s book.

 

* * *

 

Day Five

 

“You’re getting better,” Keith said, looking at Lance who was currently perfecting his left hook onto a punching bag. “Seriously, that looks great.”

Lance straightened up, smiling at Keith. “Really? Awesome! Do you think that’s good for today? I feel gross and sweaty.”

Keith nodded, grabbing his and Lance’s bags. “Yeah, man. Hit the showers.”

 

They didn’t hit the showers. Instead, while changing back into normal clothes, both boys decided then would be a good time for a makeout session. Keith wasn’t sure who started it, maybe Lance made a comment about his ass in skinny jeans, or he was caught looking a little too much at the Cuban boy’s shirtless torso, but one way or another, Keith ended up pressed against the lockers, arms wrapped around Lance’s neck and fingers tangled in his hair as he had, what was to be, the hottest locker room makeout session ever. Of course, Lance had to pull away first, apologizing and saying he had a class that would start in a few minutes and he really needed to go. He left Keith shirtless, panting, and lonely.

Later, Pidge would complain about how much he was smiling.

 

* * *

 

Day Six

 

They retried the hike one more time. This time, it was planned. Well, a day in advance planned, but still planned. Keith woke up at 7:00, (he’d actually set an alarm) and got ready. Then, once again, he was in the back seat of Pidge’s jeep with Lance, holding his frappuccino (now with less shame) as the four went over hiking provisions and what they _weren’t_ going to do this time.

Once on the trails, Hunk carried the snacks, as well as Pidge on his back when she got too tired and Lance and Keith again held hands (which was awesome!). Everything was going well, surprisingly.

“So if we had to survive in the woods with no supplies, who would die first?” Lance asked an hour or so into the hike. They’d decided to take on the challenge of the mountain, a bit too cocky once they’d made it past the foot trails. Now, the trail was getting more difficult, but finding conversation topics to distract them wasn’t.

“Pidge,” Keith said flatly.

“Keith,” Pidge said in the same tone.

“Lance,” Hunk remarked.

“Me,” Lance agreed.

“Wait, why would you ask if you think you’d die first?” Keith asked, looking over to Lance.

“I wanted to see everyone else’s answers. Why did you say Pidge?”

Keith shifted his attention over to Pidge now, who was giving him the death stare. “She hates nature.”

“Do not, I hate allergies!” Pidge said, throwing in a small sniffle to add effect.

“Yeah, so what are you gonna do when you run out of Allegra? Sneeze to death?” Keith asked, separating from Lance to step closer.

“What are you gonna do stuck on a mountain, Keith? Punch a tree?” Pidge retorted, straightening up to try and reach his height.

“Guys, guys,” Hunk said, stepping between the two. “It doesn’t matter, it’s just a hypothetical. Besides, everyone knows Lance dies first.”

“It’s true,” Lance said, nodding nonchalantly. “I need my amenities, and there aren’t any hot showers or face masks in the woods.”

Keith snorted. “You’re such a diva,” he remarked, moving closer to Lance again.

“You think it’s cute,” Lance said with a smile.

“Oh my god the gays are taking over,” Pidge groaned. “Hunk, they already got me, it’s too late. Save yourself.”

 

Eventually, they reached the mountain’s peak. Well, it was more of a glorified hill, since they reached the top by the time it was dark. Hunk had already spread out some blankets along a grassy patch, and everyone had put on whatever coat they brought (yes, they brought coats! They were very prepared!). The group had sat down, Hunk and Pidge off to the side to give the “lovebirds” some space while Keith and Lance were on their own blanket, laying down beside each other and just staring up at a dark sky, splattered with so many stars that it could make someone dizzy. From on top of the mountain, the view was beautiful, yet Keith found himself unable to take his eyes away from Lance.

“Hey,” Lance said, quietly, his blue gaze fixated above them.

“Hey,” Keith responded.

“Wanna be my boyfriend?” He asked, and without hesitation Keith replied;

“Yeah.”

“If Pidge and Hunk weren’t _right_ there, I’d make out with you so hard right now.” Keith chuckled, planting a kiss on Lance’s cheek, which earned a blush to appear in the same spot.

“I’m really happy I met you.”

“Me too.”

 

After a while of just hanging out and watching the stars, Keith learned that there was a ski lift that went up and down the mountain, no matter the season. It would’ve been nice to know that before they hiked the entire thing, but it was nice to be back at the bottom in just a few minutes. Everyone was tired, so not much was said as Pidge dropped everyone off at their respective apartments. Except, once Hunk and Lance were gone, Keith spoke, leaning over towards the front seat.

“Hey, you said that I’d be Lance’s boyfriend in a week, but it’s only been six days.”

“Check your phone,” Pidge said, not even glancing back at him.

 

* * *

 

Day Seven

 

It was well into the early AM hours, which meant Lance probably asked him around midnight. “That slick son of a bitch,” Keith muttered. “You were right, he took exactly a week.”

“I’m always right, Keith. I told you, when Lance is this crazy about someone, it’ll only take a week.”

 

UNREAD MESSAGES:

_Lance McClain_

(1:57AM) <3 <3 <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! as always, comments, kudos, and criticism are always appreciated. honestly you guys it's been a tough few weeks for me and i get so excited when i see a little email that someone left a kudo or a comment on this, and it really motivates me to get writing!  
> that being said, sorry about the wait between chapters, i try to write when i can but school is ruining me and ive been really sick for a while, which is weird, but i'm better now!  
> anyways, hope everyone liked this chapter, and if day three got you nervous you better buckle your fucking seatbelts for chapter nine because the angst is coming  
> mwahahahaha
> 
> much love,  
> -viv xx


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